Little Layla Schilling is just two-and-a-half years old -- and for more than one year of her short life, she has been fighting a rare liver cancer that spread to her lungs. But a series of medical interventions has worked miracles -- and Layla now gets to leave the hospital and head for home, where a belated Christmas gift from Santa awaits her -- a trampoline.When Layla's cancer was first discovered, doctors at Royal Children's Hospital in Australia immediately removed 80 percent of her liver to stop the tumor growth. Several months later, cancerous spots appeared again in her liver -- and in her lungs too.
Five months of intensive chemotherapy did its job -- and Layla's mom, Sara Wright, says her daughter is now doing well.
"The chemotherapy has successfully shrunk the tumors in her lung and what was left was removed by surgery," she said. "The tumor in her liver is under control, but the only way to be sure it doesn't come back is to have a transplant."
While a transplant is in Layla's future, she is focused right now on the moment. As every child should be.











1. I have been reading your article concerning Layla Schilling, i hope that she is still doing well. My daughter Jessica has been fighting hepatocelluar carcinoma for 2 years, she has just turned 16.
I would be interested to know if this is the same type of liver cancer that my daughter has.
Posted at 10:02AM on Jan 16th 2007 by Lisa Glynn