Sherilyn Yuriko Takahashi was born on June 10, 2020. She was 19 ¼ inches tall and weighed in at 6 lbs., 6oz. By all accounts she was a healthy and happy baby.
At the age of 5 months, Sherilyn was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. After 2 successful surgeries, 6 cycles of chemotherapy, 3 rounds of stem cell replacement, a stroke and infantile spasms, she kicked cancer’s ass, earning her the nickname of Warrior Princess. But the treatment came with a cost, as she had physical, cognitive and developmental delays. She was extremely weak on the right side of her body and needed supplemental oxygen 24/7. She wasn’t walking, crawling, or talking. She forgot how to swallow.
To assist with her developmental and neurological delays, Sherilyn received pediatric therapy services from great organizations like Kaiser, CHLA, SCLARC, and LAUSD. She went to NAPA Center, a pediatric therapy clinic, twice a week. There, she received PT, OT, speech therapy and feeding therapy. These caring therapists, her heroes, worked with Sherilyn to increase her core strength and balance, learn the mechanics of walking, and develop hand/eye coordination. She studied alternative ways of communicating, including the use of an AAC device. She learned how to use a spoon to feed herself and not forget to chew before she swallowed her food. One of her favorite activities was driving a switch-powered car through the entire clinic. She enjoyed chatting with her therapists, who all worked hard to improve Sherilyn’s proficiency in all skill areas.
Through the patience and dedication of her therapists, Sherilyn lived her best possible life. She was always curious and forever playful. At times she was sassy. She never cried once. And later in life, she became super chatty. She was full of confidence and learned how to create relationships with other people. It was evident that she had FOMO, fear of missing out, and wanted to be where the conversation was happening. Sherilyn had fun.
Sherilyn was a fighter until the very end. On December 9, 2025, she finally succumbed to complications that arose from chronic lung disease and pulmonary hypertension. She was 5 ½ years old.