A Father’s Strength, a Daughter’s Purpose

For Brianna Pratts, Father’s Day is about more than celebrating her dad. It’s about honoring a journey that changed both of their lives and ultimately shaped her future. 

In February 2017, Luis Pratts was 41 years old, working in law enforcement and focused on the responsibilities of career and family life. At first, the signs seemed insignificant. A lump under his arm appeared after he switched deodorants and he assumed it was simply an allergic reaction. But his wife encouraged him to have it checked. That decision changed everything.  

Luis was diagnosed with Stage 2B Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Looking back, there had been other warning signs: night sweats and unexplained itching. But like many people, he never imagined they were connected to cancer. He was at work when he received the call confirming the diagnosis, a moment that instantly divided life into “before” and “after.” 

Facing Cancer as a Family 

The battle that followed tested the entire family. Luis enrolled in a clinical trial and underwent chemotherapy at Moffitt Cancer Center. As he focused on getting through each day, each appointment, his family stood beside him, providing the support and encouragement that became essential to the journey. By August 2017, Luis was in remission.

Linsey, Brandon, Brianna and Luis Pratts gather for Brandon's graduation from Parris Island bootcamp for the United States Marine Corps.

The experience left him with a new perspective. 

“I realized how important it is to listen to your body and not take anything for granted,” Luis said. 

For Brianna, who was still in high school at the time, watching her father face cancer with courage and determination became a defining chapter in her life. Seeing the impact of the disease on her family was difficult, but she also witnessed something else: the power of research, innovation and compassionate care. The clinical trial that helped her father wasn’t just a treatment plan, it represented hope. 

Inspired by Experience 

What began as a personal experience for Brianna gradually became a professional calling. She pursued her interest in health sciences, working as a pharmacy technician at Moffitt McKinley Hospital while continuing her education, and eventually earned her master’s degree in public health. Today, she works as a research data coordinator at Moffitt, contributing to cancer research and helping advance the work that once helped her own family. 

Her father’s journey remains at the heart of everything she does. 

“When I see chemotherapy medications or hear about treatments that my dad received during his cancer journey, it reminds me why this work is so meaningful,” Brianna shared. “Every chart, dataset or treatment represents a real person with a story.” 

A Father’s Pride

For Luis, watching his daughter transform a family challenge into a career dedicated to helping others has been one of his proudest accomplishments as a father. 

“Seeing her choose a path focused on research and cancer care is incredibly rewarding,” Luis said. “She turned our experience into motivation to help other families.” 

Today, nearly a decade after his diagnosis, Luis continues his career in law enforcement, serving his community with the same dedication he brought to his fight against cancer. Outside of work, he and Brianna enjoy spending time together watching true crime documentaries and traveling with their family — simple moments that carry even greater meaning after everything they have been through. 

A Legacy of Hope 

Luis and Brianna’s story is a reminder that cancer affects more than one person. It touches entire families. Yet it can also reveal extraordinary resilience, strengthen relationships and inspire new purpose. 

This Father’s Day, Brianna celebrates the man who showed her what perseverance looks like and Luis celebrates a daughter who took one of the most difficult experiences of their lives and turned it into a mission to help others. 

Together, they are proof that even the hardest chapters can lead to something remarkable: a legacy of strength, service and hope.