November 28th 2022, was the day that turned our lives upside down. That morning Alethia woke up really dizzy, but it was the day to go back to school after Thanksgiving break, so she forced herself to attend school, even though she wasn’t feeling her best.  That afternoon as soon as a I arrived home, I noticed she had a few red rashes on her neck and still feeling dizzy, she now had a fever, so we rushed to her pediatrician.  He did some urgent blood tests and asked us to stay close to our phones.  That afternoon at 3 pm the doctor’s office called my cell phone and asked me to come to their office immediately because they had some news. Within 15 minutes we were there, I still don’t remember what happened in those 15  minutes, I don’t recall driving us there, I don't recall what happened with Lucca (my second child), I just know that Dad and me were there with Alethia, when the doctor called one of us to the office I said “I will go”.  Little did I know that would be the most difficult moment of my entire life, when doctor Scott said: “Your daughter has Leukemia”. I saw our lives falling apart, I saw her future, her dreams disappearing in a horrible dark cloud. He then rushed me to The Children’s Hospital on Sunset, I couldn’t even type the address on my phone, he did it for me, and then I had to share the news with my husband.  I still don’t understand how I did that? How do you tell the love of your life that his little princess has cancer?  How do you destroy his perfect life with just one word “Leukemia”? I don’t know how I did it, I just know that those 15 minutes driving to the hospital were the most horrible 15 minutes in our lives, holding my baby in the back seat of my car, seeing her barely awake, and knowing that this wasn’t just something that Tylenol was going to fix.  

Arriving to the hospital was a relief but the beginning of a new battle.  That day we were living in a nightmare.  

4 hours passed by, and she was finally admitted. After that, everything happened really fast, soon I realized I was in the perfect place. So many doctors were rushing around her and doing so many tests.  I was holding on to hope, the hope to hear that the diagnosis was wrong.  But no, Dr. Scott was right, my baby had LEUKEMIA.  

A whole new team of “child life support” were there to help me share the news with my daughter, because I couldn’t do it.  I knew I had to be strong, but how can you be strong when your first and only daughter is fighting for her life? How can a mom’s brain understand that? When 1 week ago we were having an amazing time in the snow, climbing mountains, rolling down hills, and throwing snowballs at each other. How is this happening?  

When she heard the news, she had only one question, “what’s going to happen with my hair”? We all knew the answer.  

Time pass sometimes flying, sometimes slow, tons of bad news were shared, Alethia has the worst of the Leukemias ALL! Alethia’s cancer is not as easy as we were expecting! Alethia will need a Bone Marrow Transplant!!!! Tons of bad news, not so many good, at that moment we couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

But, as always, time flew by; Ale got her transplant, thanks to her dad, and after eight months in the hospital, she is finally at home, adjusting to her new routine, still immunocompromised and isolated, but happy.

We can see the light, but now the mundane problems have arrived, and as much as we are trying, it's getting complicated financially. Alethia is back at virtual school, and her new teacher is trying to teach her advanced tech stuff; she's 3D printing, creating a website, etc. Unfortunately, the computer she has is not good enough for all the new things she is learning. It's October, the month of her birthday, and I would love to get her everything she needs for her classes, her painting hobby, and, in general, all her new necessities. That's where I need your support. I want to ask all the people who love her and have been worried for her, to help me, give her the best birthday present.

Please, I want to make sure she knows how much she is loved. With every donation, no matter how big or small, share a message for her - it doesn't have to be public. Let's make sure she feels all the love that is surrounding her.

Cancer was a horrible bump in our lives, but now more than ever, I know that we are going to leave this behind, I know that Alethia is a rock star that faced the worst nightmare at 12 years old, and from now on there will be just light, love, fun, laughs, because she deserve it.

Thank you so much for everything.