Gundersen Lutheran Health System Inc.
03/04/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/04/2026 11:38
Meet Luke: Children's Miracle Network Hero
Luke Willenbring is a pretty normal boy by all accounts. He loves playing sports and video games, he enjoys hanging out with friends, and he wants to be a professional athlete when he grows up. But for the past couple years, Luke's life has been anything but normal.
In March of 2024, Luke began to limp, and rather than eventually going away, it got worse. He had pain in his legs and arms, and he developed a lump in his neck. At first, it was treated as a virus, but then he developed rheumatic fever with increasing pain, difficulty walking and a loss of appetite.
Luke was referred to a children's hospital in Madison, where after many tests and a lymph node biopsy, he was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma. That set off round after round of chemotherapy at Emplify Health by Gundersen, necessitating week-long hospital stays. Then a dozen rounds of radiation, a bone marrow transplant and immunotherapy.
Finally, after all the work done on his body, the sixth grader from La Crosse now shows no evidence of the disease - other than some lost hearing, which is remedied by hearing aids. Luke is back to doing what he loves - practicing football and basketball, spending time on the river and simply being around his peers once again.
And during Luke's journey, his parents Tim and Molly were there for it all - the countless appointments, the hundreds of miles, the time off work. Expenses added up, but thanks to Children's Miracle Network® (CMN), that burden was just a little less. CMN provided gas cards, as well as funding for a trip to Roundup River Ranch in Colorado to spend a week with other kids battling cancer.
"Any monetary support during a childhood illness takes a little burden off of the family, making it easier to concentrate on helping your child instead of worrying about the mounting expenses," Molly says. "CMN helps kids in our community, and it's nice to know we can help local families who are struggling."
If you would like to support Luke and families like his, visit our CMN webpage or call .
Gundersen Lutheran Health System Inc. published this content on March 04, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 04, 2026 at 17:38 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]