Help 13-year-old Lua Woods battle Burkitt’s Lymphoma

The true measure of a Southern California community shines clearest when one of its children faces an impossible hurdle. Today, a powerful grassroots movement is spreading across regional networks to support 13-year-old Lua Woods as she wages a fierce battle against Burkitt’s Lymphoma at UCLA Medical Center.

Lua is no stranger to profound resilience. At just two years old, she survived a severe medical crisis that required a life-saving kidney transplant. Now, facing one of the most rapid and aggressive forms of cancer known, she has stepped back onto the medical battlefield with unwavering defiance. Her intensive treatment path demands immediate, high-intensity chemotherapy, requiring an initial 60-day hospital stay and at least six months of continuous care.For her mother, Aubrie Woods—a single mother of two—the sudden crisis brought an agonizing, immediate reality.

Staying by her daughter’s bedside at UCLA meant stepping away from work completely, placing the family’s home, security, and long-term financial stability at immediate risk.That is when the local neighborhood network stepped in to weave a shield against the financial wreckage that so often follows a sudden medical diagnosis. From community pillars like the Ojai Art Center to youth athletic circles like the Ojai Skate Club, a massive safety net of digital prayers, viral advocacy, and crowdfunding quickly ignited.

As local independent journalism aims to connect communities in times of profound need, The Escondido Grapevine is sharing this verified campaign to help widen Lua’s safety net across our wider Southern California region. Hospital bills, travel, and daily expenses mount incredibly fast during long-term pediatric care. Readers who wish to view official updates, share her story, or donate directly can do so through the verified Help Lua Fight Cancer GoFundMe Page organized by Aubrie Woods.

Editor’s Note: While this family is based in Ventura County, The Escondido Grapevine is sharing their story as part of our ongoing commitment to highlighting profound stories of resilience and community mutual aid across Southern California.