After cancer battle, Langhorne teen throws Phillies first pitch

I had so many emotions watching him, especially since it had just been a week before that he was told he was in remission. I was beyond excited and happy and grateful that he beat it. And I felt joy to see him smile. It was a perfect moment.”

Danielle Lautenbacher

Kyle Lautenbacher stood on the field at Citizens Bank Park on Aug. 22, looked toward his family cheering from the visitor’s dugout and threw the first pitch of the Phillies game.

The pitch went straight into the glove of the Phillie Phanatic, giving the 18-year-old Langhorne resident a moment to celebrate after a difficult year battling cancer.

“I’m a big Phillies fan. I was really nervous, but I saw my entire family lined up watching and cheering me on, which was great,” Kyle said. “I was worried I would miss, but the pitch went great, right to the Phanatic’s glove. I was ecstatic.”

Kyle was selected for the ceremonial first pitch through Bringing Hope Home, a nonprofit that provides financial and emotional support to families in the Greater Philadelphia area dealing with cancer.

The organization first connected with the Lautenbacher family in 2025, after Kyle’s mother, Danielle, was diagnosed with AML leukemia. When Kyle was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, or APML, in January 2026, Bringing Hope Home became involved again, helping the family with household bills, groceries and other needs.

When the organization began deciding which family should receive the first-pitch opportunity, Kyle stood out.

“The strength, bravery, and positivity that Kyle and his family demonstrated throughout his treatment journey were truly inspiring to our team,” said Amy Seybold, Chief Operating Officer of Bringing Hope Home. “It was so meaningful for our team to be able to create a memorable moment for a family who has shown so much courage and gratitude throughout their journey.”

The first pitch was part of Bringing Hope Home’s annual Hope Family Reunion, an event that has been held at Citizens Bank Park since 2013. Now in its 13th year, the reunion brings together more than 500 people connected to the organization who are dealing with cancer or supporting a loved one through treatment.

Seybold said the event gives families a chance to take a break from appointments, treatments and hospital visits and simply spend time together.

“With countless appointments, treatments, tests and time spent recovering from surgery or treatment, we want families to be able to enjoy time together with their own family members and with the Hope Nation community,” she said. “This day provides emotional support to the families that we serve by allowing them a fun opportunity to just enjoy themselves and make lasting memories.”

‘Mom, I’ve got this’

For the Lautenbachers, the chance to enjoy a day at the ballpark came after their family had faced two cancer diagnoses in less than two years.

Danielle had already been living with multiple sclerosis when she was diagnosed with AML leukemia in September 2024. She spent months undergoing treatment at the University of Pennsylvania before receiving a bone marrow stem cell transplant from her sister, Jill, on March 7, 2025. She continues to take preventive chemotherapy while waiting to learn whether she is in remission.

Then, in January 2026, Danielle noticed something was wrong with Kyle while the family was celebrating his younger brother’s birthday.

“He didn’t look right; he was pale and I could see something wasn’t okay,” Danielle said. “We took him to the doctor, we got his bloodwork back the next day and the doctor said, ' You need to get him to a hospital immediately.'”

Kyle was diagnosed with APML, a form of AML, and spent about two months at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He was 17 and had to put aside school, friends and the sports he enjoyed.

“It was really hard,” Danielle said. “He’s a kid; he wanted to enjoy hanging out with friends and going out.”

Throughout the ordeal, however, Kyle tried to stay positive.

“While we were all looking at this as another blow to our family, he said, ‘Mom, I’ve got this,’” Danielle recalled.

After returning home, Kyle continued going to CHOP each week for chemotherapy and testing. He eventually had his port removed and was told he was in remission.

Since then, Kyle has been getting back to life. He recently got his driver’s license, returned to work and has been spending more time with friends. He is a Bucks County Technical High School student studying automotive and hopes to become an automotive technician, with an interest in working in NASCAR.

He is also eager to return to sports.

“I’m most excited to get back to hanging out with my friends and playing sports,” Kyle said. “I play baseball and basketball for Neshaminy High School’s team, my home school. I can’t wait to get back to it.”

Support beyond the hospital

During both cancer journeys, Bringing Hope Home helped ease some of the family’s financial burden. The organization assisted with household bills, groceries, school supplies and holiday needs.

Danielle said that support made a significant difference at a time when cancer brought a long list of additional expenses.

“All of their financial help definitely took a lot of the stress away from my mind, thinking about all of the bills we needed to pay,” she said. “It really took a lot of the stress and anxiety away because cancer is not cheap.”

She said the support was particularly important because her husband, Ryan, is the family’s only wage earner.

“All the copays, the overnight stays, everything that goes with cancer, the treatments are so ungodly expensive," Danielle said. "So trying to figure out how you are going to pay for that on top of the bills you already have... to know that they were there to have our back was amazing.”

The Phillies partnership gives Bringing Hope Home an opportunity to bring families together while also raising awareness of the organization’s work. The event includes a Phillies video about the nonprofit’s mission, and proceeds from the reunion help support its Light of Hope Family Program, which provides financial assistance to families dealing with cancer.

For the Lautenbachers, the day at the ballpark was a chance to put the cancer journey aside for a few hours.

More than a dozen family members attended the game, and Danielle said relatives gathered near the dugout to watch Kyle’s first pitch. She said the family also enjoyed the chance to see the Phanatic and other special guests at the game.

“I had so many emotions watching him, especially since it had just been a week before that he was told he was in remission,” Danielle said. “I was beyond excited and happy and grateful that he beat it. And I felt joy to see him smile. It was a perfect moment.”

Kyle said having his family there made the experience even more meaningful.

“Being there meant everything to me. Seeing my entire family there having a good time doing something that we all love, it was a great time,” he said. “We were able to forget all we had been through for the day and just enjoy being there for the evening.”

For Kyle, the experience was a memorable way to mark a new chapter after his treatment.

His advice to others facing cancer is simple: “Stay as positive as possible; it’s a lot to handle.”

Helping families through cancer

Bringing Hope Home has helped more than 12,000 local families since 2008 and expects to assist more than 1,100 families in 2026, Seybold said. The organization’s support is funded by donations from the community.

The Lautenbachers are also raising money through a GoFundMe campaign to help with the financial strain created by two cancer diagnoses.

To support the family, visit gofundme.com/f/support-danielle-and-kyles-fight-against-leukemia.

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