As Houston prepares to welcome the world for FIFA World Cup 2026, one Texas Children’s patient is already helping greet visitors arriving from across the globe.

Earlier this week, Brinnley Lisenby, a 16-year-old from Tomball, visited George Bush Intercontinental Airport for the first time to see a larger-than-life Texas Children’s activation featuring her story.

Located in Terminal E, the display showcases the soccer cleat Brinn wore when she stepped back onto the field for the first time after spending more than seven months at Texas Children’s battling acute myeloid leukemia. That moment marked one of the biggest victories of her life — returning to the sport she loves after conquering cancer.

Today, Brinn is back playing varsity and club soccer, enjoying the everyday moments that once felt uncertain. Her story now stands as a symbol of resilience for the hundreds of thousands of World Cup visitors who will pass through Houston this summer.

Texas Children’s is the largest pediatric hospital in the nation, ranked one of the best children’s hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report and the #1 children’s hospital in Texas.