SEATTLE, Wa. (SOA) — For years, we've been tracking challenges facing children with cancer, from critical drug shortages to the risk of losing vital research budgets. Now, as potential cuts loom for America's largest cancer research funding provider, we meet some of the smallest victims.

Leif and Mallory Carlson were growing their young family, bonding two beautiful twin baby girls with their toddler brother, when the unthinkable upended their lives.

It started as a fever for little Josie, but quickly led to a soul-crushing diagnosis. Josie had a rare, aggressive form of cancer, prompting doctors to immediately test her twin sister, Lucy.

The Carlsons were bonding their beautiful twin babies with their older brother when their lives were upended by a horrifying health crisis (Photo: The Carlson Family)

Leif recalls receiving the news that both their daughters had leukemia at 2 a.m. in a doctor's office.

"You could feel an energy in the room," Mallory recalled. "I think it was just shock."

Shock, because they were told that the odds of this happening to both of their babies were less than one in 10 million.

Mallory and Leif Carlson gripped each other's hands as they told Spotlight on America about the devastating diagnosis that changed their lives (Photo: TK Johnson)

Since then, life has been a blur for the Carlsons, who grip one another's hands tightly as they talk about life in the hospital.

Josie and Lucy now live at Seattle Children's, with precious moments meant for quiet homes playing out on the floor of a hospital room, as Mallory and Leif endure suffering that no parent should.

Curing children of cancer often involves toxic medicines that can damage their developing bodies (Photo: The Carlson family)

The way to treat their rare cancer involves a two-year treatment plan that involves toxic medicines. Mallory told us those effects are already being seen, as Josie lost part of a finger due to blood clots, and Lucy broke her femur because her bones are deteriorating.

That suffering is part of why the children are enrolled in a clinical trial, to test promising new drug combinations that may save their lives and also reduce the horrific side effects.

The twins are enrolled in a clinical trial to not just save their lives, but hopefully cut down on horrific side effects from toxic treatments (Photo: SBG)

But trials like theirs are under threat, according to Dr. Mignon Loh, head of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Seattle Children's, who is taking care of Josie and Lucy.

She wants everyone to understand what's at risk.

"I really want to stress to the American public that this is really a problem," Loh said. "This is really happening and it's serious."

Dr. Mignon Loh is clear about the threat to clinical trials: "This is serious." (Photo: TK Johnson)

Under the President's 2026 Budget plan, the National Cancer Institute, which funds grants for cancer research, would be cut by 37%.

Those deep cuts are fueling concern that trials like Jose and Lucy's could be eliminated.

"We're really worried that we won't be able to run the important clinical trials in order to make breakthroughs and accelerate cures for childhood cancer," Loh said.

The White House has proposed deep cuts to the National Cancer Institute's funding, but the final decision comes from Congress (Photo: SBG)

Adult medications for cancer aren't designed for children, who have different tumors and different responses to traditional therapies, making the threat of losing specialized clinical trials even more concerning.

The Carlson family wants to tell their story to raise awareness about the need to continue the research that is being done to save their daughters' lives.

Mallory and Leif Carlson said the clinical trials their daughters are enrolled in could save lives down the line (Photo: TK Johnson)

"The odds of both our daughters surviving this are slim, we are aware of that, and we hold the facts with hope," Mallory said. "But the truth is, no matter what the outcome is for our daughters, this clinical trial will push the bar in cancer research for other children and families to come."

For now, the girls have gone into remission, but that doesn't mean they are out of danger. They will spend several more months in the hospital and be in treatment until 2027.

Mallory Carlson wants her daughters' painful journey to "mean something" and potentially save lives for future patients (Photo: The Carlson family)

For Mallory, knowing that the trials for their twins will help other families makes it all the more meaningful, inspiring her fight for continued funding for not just their future, but all children's.

"I do not want this to all be for nothing," she said. "I know that my daughters would want their lives to mean something, and all we're asking for as a family going through the unimaginable is to just have the funding we need from our government."

We are continuing to dive deeper into this subject. We'll be releasing new reports about funding that's already been cut and what the White House is doing when it comes to AI and pediatric cancer in our next report.