Every September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month reminds us of the young warriors battling diseases we often associate with adulthood. For Sheena Escalante, that reminder is deeply personal. Her youngest son, Phillip, was 9 years old when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma — a cancer more common in teens and young adults. Phillip was a typical kid in the Inland Empire. He loved baseball, superheroes and his family. When he came down with what seemed like the flu, Sheena thought it would pass. But as symptoms lingered, she trusted her instincts and took him to the doctor.

What followed was a whirlwind. First, he was admitted to Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center, where initial tests revealed serious complications, including collapsed lungs and a large tumor wrapped around his he

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