Sophia Tuinstra Medical Help Fund

My name is Samaah Sbeitan. I am a friend of the Tuinstra family and Sophia is a classmate of Yousef. Due to this unexpected situation, with the (hesitant) permission of the Tuinstra family, a few of us mothers in the area decided this was much needed. Please help if you can...no amount too little. Prayers also encouraged and needed. If you would like to help in another way please reach out.

Sophia Tuinstra was a healthy 14 year old basketball player for Westmont Hilltop High School. She was busy making plans to earn her Silver Award for Girl Scouts, in her fourth year playing guitar, and on her way to the state competition for the Technology Student Association.

All of it came to an abrupt stop when she was diagnosed with B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) on Saturday.

Over the coming month, she will undergo Induction Therapy (intense chemo) at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh. Then she will receive a specific chemo plan over the next 6-8 months at Children's Hospital on an outpatient basis. Money collected through this GoFundMe will be used to offset traveling expenses back and forth to the hospital.

There are opportunities for Sophia to participate in clinical trials to increase her success rate. She has preliminarily been entered in one to gather her genetic factors. These opportunities depend upon her test results that will come back at the end of the month. Clinical trials are often not paid for by insurance companies, but can greatly increase survival rates. Money collected through this GoFundMe will be diverted to this account to offset these costs.

Any funds left over will be donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and The Ronald McDonald House Charity.

Sophia remains optimistic and positive. She is anxious to come back to school and finish projects that she started. The Community's role in her recovery is important and the family thanks you for all of your positive thoughts, prayers, and energy.