Meet Noelle
Meet our newest hero, Noelle! On this beautiful Thanksgiving day, we are so grateful to have the opportunity to shine a light on our heroes, children we meet with life-threatening illness and physical challenges that have stories worth telling. Noelle is one of our youngest heroes at just 11 months old, and she was diagnosed with B-cell leukemia in May of 2025 when she was only 5 months.
It was such a joy meeting Noelle, who took quite a liking to Aidan. She was fascinated with his beard, probably because it reminded her of her own dad, who she hadn't seen in 2 months. Noelle and her family are from the Upper Peninsula, but have been living at Mott Children's Hospital for her treatment. It has been very hard on Noelle's family for many reasons, but despite it all they fight.
Aidan walked into the Thanksgiving game with Noelle's mantra on his water jug:
"Fighting with Love #TeamNoelle"
Noelle's Story:
Eleven-month-old Noelle was diagnosed with B-cell leukemia in May of 2025. She will turn one-year-old on December 3! On May 7, we took her to the ER at 9 p.m. because she wasn’t eating, was extremely tired, and had bruises all over her body. After seven attempts to place an IV, her results came back quickly. The doctor looked at us and said, “I’m really sorry — Noelle has leukemia. We’ll be flying you down to U-M in a few hours.”
She was just 5 months old at the time. Noelle and Mom flew on the U-M jet from the U.P. and arrived at Mott at 7 a.m. on May 8. Dad and her brother drove down and arrived at 2 p.m. Because Noelle had 280,000 white blood cells, she needed immediate medical attention, including a tube placed in her head to relieve pressure. She began chemotherapy in the PICU and later moved to the oncology floor to continue treatment.
Noelle went into remission in July. Her treatment plan was supposed to last two years, but in August she relapsed. We were told the next step would be a bone marrow transplant. From August to November, she continued chemotherapy while waiting for a match. Although no family members matched, the bone marrow team found a donor — a woman from Spain. Noelle received her transplant on November 6 and is currently in the hospital receiving care as she manages the side effects until she’s ready for discharge.
She is the strongest 11-month-old girl we know, and we will fight with her for as long as it takes. The fight never ends, and the journey always continues.
Noelle loves watching Mickey Mouse and Ms. Rachel. She enjoys toys that light up and make noise, banging blocks together, and holding her teething straws. She’s happiest when being held and making someone laugh. On good days, she loves playing and cruising around in her walker to see what’s happening in the hallway at Mott. Most of all, she loves playing with her big brother, Maverick.
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We are inspired by the courage Noelle and her family have shown in the face of such adversity and unknowns. That is the true meaning of grit.
Please consider donating to Noelle's GoFundMe to help with treatments and living
Love Always,
Team Hutch