Fight For Lucas
Donation protected
This Father’s Day I received a text from a dear friend asking for some help because she was with her son in the hospital. Of course I said yes. I had no idea at that moment what she was being faced with but soon after she sent another messsage that said “I can’t think straight, Lucas has Leukemia”! I was so devistated and couldn’t begin to imagine what she must be going through. I handled what she asked of me and prayed that there was a mistake and her happy little guy would go home soon but as the day went on it became more real.
As the days past, I checked in on Marissa and Lucas and the pain in my heart grew deeper each day and I just wished that I could make it all go away. This is a Parents worse nightmare and completely unfair. I asked Marissa for an update on Lucas and she started from the very beginning....
*Tuesday (6/12) was his dads birthday, we went out to eat.. he slept in Wednesday until 11am which isn’t like him but I figured eh, it’s summer break I won’t bug him. He slept all day Wednesday, the kids just hung out and I got some laundry done. Thursday he started a fever so I just did the usual Tylenol every 4 hours, he again slept most of the day.. he was up most of the night with a fever until the early morning. So Friday we continued with fluids and Tylenol then he woke up from a nap Friday evening burning up so I took him to an after hour pediatrics. Checked his fever and it was 103.8, they said it was a viral infection and that he would get better with ibprophen and tylenol. So we did just that! We went to my dads house Saturday for an early Father’s Day and I just figured since it’s a viral that he’ll get over soon he can just lay on the bed and play on the phone and rest. He took a nap over there, woke up and he was not looking good. We left and Nick dropped off Lucas and I at Lovelace Emergency room. They said he had pneumonia there but needed to transport us by ambulance to UNM because that’s where they have an amazing pediatric unit. So they did that, then we get here and they run a bunch of tests..
Sunday morning on Father’s Day they told us his diagnosis, which is called T-cell Leukemia. It is an aggressive type of Leukemia so the doctors were extremely quick to reacting and got him on chemo the next day. We are still in the ICU because there is an infection in his Lungs because of the pneumonia that they are still trying to get cleared up.. He has a chest tube that is clearing it up slowly.
We’ve been in ICU for 6 days now, once that dang pneumonia clears up they will take us to the Cancer center floor where we will be ther from 3-4 weeks. It is going to be a long road ahead for my son but I just know my Lucas and he is going to be such a fighter! He already is! You never think it will be you or your family. Especially coming from a kid who had NO symptoms or signs. He just got sick and wasn’t able to fight the sickness because of the Leukemia we didn’t know that was in his body.. The doctor just said that if he hadn’t come in with pneumonia, it was only a matter of time in the next month or so we would’ve brought him in with the symptoms of the Leukemia which can be nose bleeds.. etc.
I blame myself, I want to blame anyone I can because I hurt so much for him I just want answers! He just tried out for a club team for baseball 2 weekends ago, he is such an all star kid at only 6 year old. And now his life will be changed because of Cancer.. but I am so thankful he is still here with us and fighting!
Nick and Marissa Baca are amazing Parents to an amazing Boy Named Lucas. This boy is a fighter and a natural born winner. My hope is that Lucas and his parents look back on this time and say, “WE DID IT”!!!! There is no real time frame as to how long Lucas will be at UNM and all help at this time is appreciated. I’m hoping that we can help ease the financial stress so that they can focus on Lucas and his needs at this time and worry less about the financial aspect of his diagnosis.
With the power of Prayer and Love, Together we are #LucasStrong!
As the days past, I checked in on Marissa and Lucas and the pain in my heart grew deeper each day and I just wished that I could make it all go away. This is a Parents worse nightmare and completely unfair. I asked Marissa for an update on Lucas and she started from the very beginning....
*Tuesday (6/12) was his dads birthday, we went out to eat.. he slept in Wednesday until 11am which isn’t like him but I figured eh, it’s summer break I won’t bug him. He slept all day Wednesday, the kids just hung out and I got some laundry done. Thursday he started a fever so I just did the usual Tylenol every 4 hours, he again slept most of the day.. he was up most of the night with a fever until the early morning. So Friday we continued with fluids and Tylenol then he woke up from a nap Friday evening burning up so I took him to an after hour pediatrics. Checked his fever and it was 103.8, they said it was a viral infection and that he would get better with ibprophen and tylenol. So we did just that! We went to my dads house Saturday for an early Father’s Day and I just figured since it’s a viral that he’ll get over soon he can just lay on the bed and play on the phone and rest. He took a nap over there, woke up and he was not looking good. We left and Nick dropped off Lucas and I at Lovelace Emergency room. They said he had pneumonia there but needed to transport us by ambulance to UNM because that’s where they have an amazing pediatric unit. So they did that, then we get here and they run a bunch of tests..
Sunday morning on Father’s Day they told us his diagnosis, which is called T-cell Leukemia. It is an aggressive type of Leukemia so the doctors were extremely quick to reacting and got him on chemo the next day. We are still in the ICU because there is an infection in his Lungs because of the pneumonia that they are still trying to get cleared up.. He has a chest tube that is clearing it up slowly.
We’ve been in ICU for 6 days now, once that dang pneumonia clears up they will take us to the Cancer center floor where we will be ther from 3-4 weeks. It is going to be a long road ahead for my son but I just know my Lucas and he is going to be such a fighter! He already is! You never think it will be you or your family. Especially coming from a kid who had NO symptoms or signs. He just got sick and wasn’t able to fight the sickness because of the Leukemia we didn’t know that was in his body.. The doctor just said that if he hadn’t come in with pneumonia, it was only a matter of time in the next month or so we would’ve brought him in with the symptoms of the Leukemia which can be nose bleeds.. etc.
I blame myself, I want to blame anyone I can because I hurt so much for him I just want answers! He just tried out for a club team for baseball 2 weekends ago, he is such an all star kid at only 6 year old. And now his life will be changed because of Cancer.. but I am so thankful he is still here with us and fighting!
Nick and Marissa Baca are amazing Parents to an amazing Boy Named Lucas. This boy is a fighter and a natural born winner. My hope is that Lucas and his parents look back on this time and say, “WE DID IT”!!!! There is no real time frame as to how long Lucas will be at UNM and all help at this time is appreciated. I’m hoping that we can help ease the financial stress so that they can focus on Lucas and his needs at this time and worry less about the financial aspect of his diagnosis.
With the power of Prayer and Love, Together we are #LucasStrong!
Organizer and beneficiary
Amanda Nichole Garcia
Organizer
Bernalillo, NM
Marissa Baca
Beneficiary