Ashlyn Lee passed away from DIPG on September 3, 2023 at the age of 15, after 8 months battle with this cancer first diagnosed in mid of January 2023. Ashlyn was our first child, and she was always loved and surrounded by her younger brother, family members, friends and her doggies. I earned my Ph.D. of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Did my postdoctoral research at Stanford and UC Berkeley. Having my career in biotechnologies and IVD industries. Unfortunately, my knowledge and expertise could not do anything to save my daughter’s life.

Ashlyn was a gifted child. She was brilliant, lively, passionate, selfless and humble. She cared and inspired everyone around her. She lived every day as bright and strong as she could. She was very keen on learning and did great in academic, music and sports. She planned to be a medical doctor when she grew up, and she liked studying Science, Mathematics, and Literature very much!

During her fight with DIPG, she was suffering from her health conditions, treatment side effects, anxiety, emotional stress, social isolation and missing school and friends. Even though with all her pains, she kept optimistic and hoped every day. She helped wipe off the tears of us, her little brother and friends. She demonstrated the incredible bravery, resilience and strength until her very last breath.

Her kindness, passion, voice, and smile are in our hearts forever. She is loved and memorized by her family and friends ever. I wish her story and love can be shared and remembered. I hope our donation of her specimen can be meaningful to research and science communities, and one day those efforts could deliver the true impacts to save children and their families from this devastating disease.