NEED TO KNOW
Lola Xiong, 4, celebrated taking her final chemo pill after over two-year leukemia battle that began at age 2
Her parents, Kristine and her husband, shared their emotional journey, including moments of heartbreak and gratitude
A video of Lola’s celebration went viral as the family looks forward to a new chapter and ongoing monitoring
As Kristine Xiong sat beside her daughter, cutting colorful paper garlands for a party unlike any other, the Northern California mom suddenly realized the moment she had spent the last two years praying for had finally arrived.
After countless hospital stays, painful procedures and chemotherapy treatments, her 4-year-old daughter Lola was preparing to take her final chemo pill.
“It felt all day like I was planning a birthday party,” Kristine, 34, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “But I’m not. In a sense, I am because this is like a new rebirth for her.”
Lola Xiong celebrating end of chemo
Credit: Kristine Xiong
For the Xiong family, the celebration marked the end of a grueling cancer journey that began when Lola was just 2 years old.
In January 2024, Lola was diagnosed with leukemia after her parents initially mistook bruises appearing across her body for childhood clumsiness. But when the bruising spread to unusual places — including her stomach and spine — and she began experiencing fatigue, severe jaw pain and refusing to eat, her parents knew something was seriously wrong.
Now, more than two years later, Kristine says the reality of finally finishing treatment still feels surreal.
“When her and I were talking about it, she was just like, ‘Mommy, I’m so happy I don’t have to be on chemo anymore,’ ” Kristine recalls. “Or she would be like, ‘Mommy, so when I get a fever, I don’t have to go to the hospital anymore?’ ”
“And I’m like, ‘Nope. You’re not gonna have to go to the hospital,’ ” she continues. “‘We can treat you with Tylenol. We can treat you like any other normal child. We don’t have to rush to the hospital anymore.’ ”
For much of Lola’s young life, hospital visits, blood draws and strict medical protocols became her normal.
Kristine says there were moments throughout treatment that were especially heartbreaking for both her and her husband, including having to physically hold Lola down during difficult procedures.
“All of the holding her down and having her scream like, ‘I hate you,’ or, ‘You don’t love me,’ ” Kristine says. “It literally feels like we had to put her through it.”
Lola Xiong during treatment
Credit: Kristine Xiong
Still, she says Lola continued to show her parents grace throughout the process.
“She has given my husband and I so much grace after all that we’ve had to put her through,” Kristine says. “This whole cancer journey really taught us that life is so short. Life is so precious.”
As treatment continued, the family learned to take life “minute by minute, second by second” while finding gratitude even during the hardest days.
“Some days are harder than others,” Kristine says. “Some days you wake up, and she’s just in the most miserable situation, but we tend to take it minute by minute.”
When it came time to celebrate Lola’s final treatment, Kristine wanted the moment to feel especially meaningful.
While decorating together before the celebration, she says the significance of the day suddenly hit her in a new way. Watching Lola finally take her last pill left both Kristine and her husband overwhelmed with emotion.
“There’s no more chemo after this,” Kristine says. “My child is gonna eventually be free, and she’s gonna get to experience the childhood that she never got to have.”
“There was something inside my husband and I that we were just like, you wanna scream, you wanna shout, you wanna cry,” she says. “You just wanna do it all. I can’t do a backflip, but I really wanted to. There’s just so much joy in it.”
Kristine later posted a video of the emotional moment on social media, showing Lola wearing a “No More Chemo” crown while sitting behind a “Peace Out Chemo” sign and blowing out candles as Michael Bublé’s song “Feeling Good” played in the background.
Since then, the video has gone viral, racking up millions of views and thousands of comments from people celebrating alongside the family.
“Yaaaaaaaaaay Lola!!!! You’re the strongest girl!” one user commented.
“Aww this is amazing 🥹❤️🥳,” another wrote.
“The best news!!!!” a third chimed in.
Although Lola’s chemotherapy treatments are now complete, the family says their cancer journey is not entirely over.
For the first year after treatment, Lola will return monthly for lab work and monitoring to ensure there are no signs of relapse. Doctors will continue following her care into adulthood.
“They’re gonna be following her until she’s 21 years old,” Kristine says.
The experience has also transformed the family’s relationship with Lola’s oncology team, who Kristine says have become like family over the last two years.
“I never understood when our oncology team said, ‘We are your family now,’ ” she says. “I didn’t understand that until now.”
“They’re literally family to us,” Kristine continues. “They’re watching our child turn from a 2-year-old to a 4-year-old who now doesn’t have cancer. They’re literally there with us.”
Kristine Xiong with her husband and three kids
Credit: Kristine Xiong
Now, as the family enters a new chapter beyond treatment, Kristine says they’re focused on embracing the ordinary moments they once feared they might lose.
“Lola really taught us gratitude,” she says. “Thankfulness and just being grateful for life in general.”
Read the original article on People