Hepatoblastoma Awareness Day 2026
- Sarah Lansing
- May 25
- 3 min read
May 25, 2026 is Hepatoblastoma Awareness Day, a day we come together to raise awareness and support for families affected by hepatoblastoma and other pediatric liver cancers. Hepatoblastoma Resource Network began as a website resource, founded by Christina and Cody Stiverson, whose daughter Addie had at the time recently passed away from hepatoblastoma. As they went through Addie's treatment, they searched far and wide for resources and information to help their daughter, but they couldn't find something like they were looking for, because nothing existed at the time. As grieving parents, they deeply wished that there was a place where other parents could turn to get credible resources and legitimate information to help their children. So they made what they were looking for. Christina spent countless hours researching and networking with the top clinicians around the country to understand current, specialized, and novel treatments, studies, and clinical trials, in order to disseminate that information to the community. In HRN's First Blog Post from 2019, they wrote,
"For us, night one in the hospital left our family feeling isolated and alone. We were at a great facility, yet throughout treatment we were constantly searching for answers about our situation." -Christina and Cody Stiverson, Addie's parents
And caregivers often have significant feelings of isolation,
the Stiversons were not alone. Their experiences are common for families with a child diagnosed with pediatric liver cancer. Parents often become researchers, networkers, and grassroots organizers, in addition to navigating care for their child. But the impact is significant. Another hepatoblastoma parent, Kristen Grace, reflects on the wide range of impacts a diagnosis like hepatoblastoma has on families,
"One thing we learned quickly is how much access to specialized care matters for children battling hepatoblastoma. Families often have to leave their home for weeks or months for treatment resulting in travel costs, temporary housing, missed work, childcare for siblings, meals away from home, and countless unexpected expenses on top of the emotional weight of having a critically ill child." -Kristen Grace, Hannah's mom
At HRN, we recognize the weight of this impact because we have experienced it firsthand. Every person on the team at HRN is the parent of a child who has experienced a critical illness and we are here to help. We are a community of parents and caregivers who support families affected by hepatoblastoma and other pediatric liver cancers by providing credible resources and education, fostering community, financial support, and advancing collaborative care and research. We have grown substantially since that first blog post, and we are continuing to grow! Hepatoblastoma Resource Network is now a registered, nationally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 41-4776184).
Our vision is a world where every family navigating hepatoblastoma and other pediatric liver cancers has the tools, support, resources, and knowledge to navigate care with confidence, and you can help. For Hepatoblastoma Awareness Day 2026, we are raising funds to widen our reach and level of support we are able to provide. Please consider supporting our cause, and share widely. Together, we can make a difference in the fight against pediatric liver cancer.
Check back and continue to get the latest news at https://www.hepatoblastoma.org
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