LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — An 11-year-old cancer survivor from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is sharing his story to show how much pediatric cancer research matters.
Jackson Trinh was 7 years old when he started having leg pains. His parents thought it was from being an active kid, but fevers came next, and one night it got so bad he couldn’t talk.
His parents rushed him to UNM Children’s Hospital in Albuquerque, where he first heard the words B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
“I was only seven years old. I didn’t know what leukemia was at the time, but my parents were crying, so I knew it was bad,” Jackson said. “Suddenly, the hospital became my second home.”
Jackson went through two years of blood draws, spinal taps, chemotherapy and medication, staying in the hospital away from his friends. On Jan. 18, 2024, he beat cancer and is now two years cancer-free.
Pediatric cancer research
Jackson is now working with the nonprofit Hyundai Hope On Wheels to raise awareness about pediatric cancer research.
According to Kevin O’Reilly, a Hyundai Hope On Wheels board member, every 36 minutes a child is diagnosed with pediatric cancer in the United States. While the survival rate has risen to 85%, the organization is committed to taking that number to 100%.
The nonprofit was founded by a group of Hyundai dealers in 1998 with a mission to put an end to pediatric cancer. Every time a Hyundai is sold, Hyundai dealers and Hyundai Motor America put their money together, and that money goes to Hyundai Hope On Wheels, which donates it in the form of pediatric cancer research and program grants across the nation.
This year, the organization will donate $26 million in pediatric cancer research and program grants, bringing its lifetime total to over $300 million.
O’Reilly said advancements in treatment include high-intensity focused ultrasound and low-intensity focused ultrasound, which are less invasive ways to treat a child’s cancer, making life after cancer better for the child.
“People don’t understand that children can get cancer, too, and we need to find better medicines from research that won’t hurt our bodies,” Jackson said.
More information about Jackson’s story is available at HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org.
Copyright 2026 KVVU. All rights reserved.
