‘I’m built different’: Pediatric patient faced cancer with a smile

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 17, 2026) – When a child is diagnosed with cancer, their families experience an entire spectrum of emotions: fear, uncertainty, stress and anger, just to name a few.

That’s how DJ and Felicia Cadwell of Harrodsburg remember their daughter Seren’s cancer journey. 

Seren, however, has a completely different take. 

“It was fun,” she said.

Sure, there were some rough parts — chemotherapy, surgeries, complications and missed time with friends. But Seren adored her care team at UK Golisano Children’s DanceBlue Hematology-Oncology Clinic. The nurses, child life specialists and the DanceBlue student volunteers worked hard to keep Seren’s spirits up with games, arts and crafts and other activities, keeping her mind off her long and difficult treatment. 

“That’s an extraordinary group of people who can make cancer fun,” said DJ.

‘They did not sugarcoat anything’

In September 2024 — the day that happened to be Seren’s 11th birthday — the Cadwells visited Seren’s pediatrician for a follow-up appointment. Seren had been experiencing some stomach issues, as well as a visible, palpable knot on her side. When a standard course of medication had no effect, her pediatrician ordered a CT scan. Hours later, the Cadwells got the call that no family wants to receive. 

Seren had a tumor. 

Days later, the Cadwells met with pediatric oncologist Senna R. Munnikhuysen, M.D., at UK Golisano Children’s for a candid discussion.

“She didn’t try to convince us that everything’s gonna be fine,” said DJ. “She gave it to us straight and said this could be cancer, and you need to be prepared. They did not sugarcoat anything. I really respect and appreciate that level of candidness. That’s not a time when I want to be deceived into thinking things are going to be fine if they might not be.”

With a diagnosis of hepatoblastoma, a rare, malignant liver cancer, Munnikhuysen started Seren on an aggressive course of chemotherapy to try and shrink the tumor. Though they initially felt blindsided — aside from the visible lump and some stomach cramps, Seren had no symptoms — the Cadwells quickly adjusted to life at the hospital. While DJ and Felicia navigated balancing home life with Seren’s hospital stays, Seren was busy charming every nurse, tech and staff member in the place. When it was time to go home after staying overnight for chemo, Seren didn’t want to leave her new friends.

“Dare I say, they made it fun,” DJ said. “That’s crazy. Our daughter had a blast. She didn’t want to leave.”

But Seren said it wasn’t all fun and games.

“I got so mad when I learned that I needed to do schoolwork at the hospital,” she said. “I didn’t want to.”

‘Every time we thought we were getting close to the finish line…’

After the third round of chemo, Seren’s tumor wasn’t shrinking. Its size — big enough to push her stomach and other organs out of place — meant that it couldn’t be safely removed surgically. Seren was sent to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, a procedure in which beads loaded with chemotherapy are injected directly into the artery that supplies the tumor’s blood flow. 

Around this time, Seren was experiencing complications from her treatment. Her body wasn’t absorbing electrolytes and other nutrients, which in turn led to a loss of kidney function and bone density. Seren suffered compression fractures in her spine and was reliant on a wheelchair. She took 45 pills a day — mostly vitamins and supplements. But ultimately, the procedure worked and the tumor shrank. On March 25, 2025, surgeons at Cincinnati Children’s removed two thirds of Seren’s liver to completely excise the tumor. 

The Cadwells returned to Lexington where Munnikhuysen had Seren resume chemotherapy. However, further testing revealed Seren’s cancer journey took a turn for the worse. Though the tumor was removed, the disease remained. Seren was once again diagnosed with cancer, but this time, it was a cancer so rare, fewer than 30 cases have been reported in the last 10 years. Even the name sounds uncertain: hepatocellular malignant neoplasm, not otherwise specified (HMN-NOS).

“Liver tumors in children are rare,” said John D’Orazio, M.D., division of chief of pediatric oncology, who works with Munnikhuysen. “And Seren’s kind of liver tumor is even rarer than that. There isn’t a lot of literature out there to guide therapeutic choices, so we consulted experts across the country, came up with a plan and presented it to the family.”

“It’s another crash-out for us,” said DJ. “It’s like, every time we thought we were getting close to the finish line, there’s something else. Again, we leaned heavily on the team because they were such a good support system and gave us the resources we needed. Even if we just needed a hug.”

Seren continued chemo throughout the summer. At this point, she had been out of school since October. Thanks to the PAWS program (Providing Assistance with School), a school intervention program housed within the DanceBlue Clinic, Seren didn’t fall behind her classmates. School intervention specialists worked with her school to get lesson plans and materials, and even arranged for a homebound teacher to work with Seren both at home in the hospital. For DJ and Felicia, Seren’s diagnosis and treatment were beyond stressful; the thought of calling the school, filing paperwork and getting her coursework was overwhelming. Once again, the clinic staff stepped up to take one more worry off their plate. 

“They coordinated everything and took a huge weight off us,” said DJ. “Who wants to deal with anything when you’re already dealing with the worst thing? It’s so valuable — I can’t even put it into words.”

Ringing the bell

On Dec. 29, 2025, more than a year after her diagnosis, Seren rang the bell, signifying the end of her treatment. Everyone who supported her over the past 14 months was there, including her homebound teacher. Although she still has to report to the clinic every few months for scans and bloodwork, DJ and Felicia are relieved to be able to put cancer in the rearview. Seren, however, had a different reaction to the end of her cancer journey.

“She’s not thrilled about it, but it’s nice to be back in school and things be normal,” said DJ. “She hated the idea of not going back to the hospital every week. It was her home away from home, and they were her second family.”

Seren, now 12, is an active, happy kid who loves going to the mall with the friends who helped her through her cancer journey. Her cancer is in remission. Now, it’s Seren’s turn to be a source of support; one of her friends has recently has become a patient at the DanceBlue Clinic. Seren considers this good practice for when she grows up — she wants to be a pediatric nurse. And she knows exactly what patients need: a dose of joy.

“I never really felt sad because I trusted them during it,” she said. “I had a fun time with all the nurses and students there that helped me and hung out with me and made me laugh and smile. They made it fun.”

Seren’s journey has been long, but she feels she’s been changed for the better.

“I’m built different,” she said. “I’m stronger.”