Lakelyn Ashley Draheim passed away peacefully at her home in Bishopville, MD on January 13, 2023 after a yearlong battle with DIPG, an aggressive form of pediatric brain cancer. Lakelyn was born in Salisbury, MD on June 28, 2017 to her parents Lauren and Lance Draheim. To her family, friends and teachers, Lakelyn was known as a passionate, creative, and loving little girl who loved to dance, paint, camp, ride four-wheelers, go to school, cook with her Daddy, bake with her Mommy, and play with her brothers: Lawson “Bubba” and Levyn Beau “L.B.”. She often said that when she grew up, she wanted to be a dancer/ballerina/4-wheeler rider/deer hunter/hair dresser, a list which was constantly growing.

When Lakelyn wasn’t cheering on Lawson in sports, she enjoyed going camping in Williamsburg, VA, Disney World and at Jellystone Campground in Lincoln, DE. Some of her family’s favorite memories are of making S’Mores and playing Charades around a campfire. At home, she loved to work on puzzles, read, play school and watch her favorite shows, including Sleeping Beauty and Bluey.

Lakelyn was kind, intelligent and a beacon of light to everyone she encountered. She would often style her friends’ hair, do their makeup, paint their nails and always wanted people to feel better when they left her. Her infectious smile drew people in, her giggle would bring instant joy to everyone she met and her touch would soothe any broken heart.

Lakelyn will be missed dearly but the impact she has made on so many people will live on forever.

"In honor of our daughter, Lakelyn, we are invested in continuing to fight for a cure for DIPG. Our daughter’s battle was one that no child should ever have to endure, yet we hear of more and more children having to suffer every day, so we want to take every opportunity to raise money to support research in order to eliminate DIPG for good. The Cure Starts Now is an amazing organization that stood by our side as we fought DIPG and continues to be there to support us. We are honored to be able to continue fighting with them and taking a stand for our sweet angel, Lakelyn." - The Draheim Family

Thank you for choosing to donate to The Cure Starts Now Foundation. 100% of this donation, after credit card processing fees, goes directly towards research to find the homerun cure for cancer starting with pediatric brain cancer research.

If you would like to make a donation by mail please send a check to:  The Cure Starts Now Foundation; 10280 Chester Road; Cincinnati, OH 45215 and put the child's name in the memo.

The family receives notification of all donations made to this tribute fund automatically.