BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Delilah Loya, the nine-year-old viral cancer fighter, died of neuroblastoma a month ago. Now her family is paying tribute to her and expanding their cancer foundation in her honor.

• Video shows photos and videos of 9-year-old cancer fighter Delilah Loya
• Delilah battled cancer for five years before she died on July 21, 2024.
• Her family founded the Hey There Delilah Foundation to help others battling cancer, and they plan to expand their resources in her memory.

Delilah Loya’s family says she loved adventure and ziplining at Jastro Park, but a cancer diagnosis completely changed her life and after five long years of battling the disease, she has left a legacy and a lasting impression on our community.
“I’m so excited!” said Delilah Loya on the plane.

That was Delilah.

Her family says she was ready for any adventure life had in store for her.

“I want them to remember her light,” Delilah’s mother, Samantha Loya, said tearfully. “She was a light that shone so brightly.”

At the age of four, Delilah Loya was diagnosed with terminal neuroblastoma and battled the cancer for five years at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital.

“I always held on to the hope that she would beat cancer because she believed she would beat it, so why shouldn’t I believe that too,” she said.

But Delilah’s condition worsened in late July when her lungs stopped working properly, and on July 21, 2024, Delilah died at the age of 9, surrounded by her loved ones while her father held her in his arms.

“He said he picked her up and just held her. He held her for about 30 minutes and said he felt her heart stop beating.”

A month after her death, her family preserves the memories Delilah left behind in the form of artwork…

“That’s the last picture she took of me,” said Delilah’s father, Irvin Loya. “Yeah, she said we went to get ice cream.”

…and photos…

“She knew she probably wouldn’t be here long without knowing, so she took pictures and left us all these memories,” Loya said, showing me an album of Polaroid photos Delilah had kept.

… and unopened toys that she never got to play with.

“She has done so much more than most people do in their entire life,” Loya said.

Loya wishes she could have spent more time with her firstborn daughter, but says she has had a full life, traveling to Hawaii, meeting “Plain White T’s” singer Tom Higgenson and taking the field at Sofi Stadium as a Rams cheerleader.

This is just the beginning of Delilah’s legacy.

“Delilah prepared everything for us,” Loya said. “She left us ready to work.”

Loya said Delilah plans to expand her Hey There Delilah Foundation to help others battling the disease.

“We’re in it with all our hearts. We were in it with all our hearts, but we weren’t able to put the pieces together,” said Stephani Pierce, a family friend and cancer survivor.

Loya says they’re working with a company called Purpose Built to build their brand and expand their resources so they can become a one-stop shop where cancer patients can get the help they need. And she says they won’t give up because Delilah fought until her last breath.

“She really tried hard. She really tried hard and tried really hard.”

While the family still mourns the loss of their little girl, they continue to work to make a difference for other cancer patients.

If you would like to support the work of their foundation, you can follow them on Instagram to follow their journey: @heytheredelilahofficial on Instagram and Hey There Delilah on Facebook.

You can also make a donation here or purchase the book “Hey There Delilah.”

Stay in touch with us Anytime, Everywhere: