*****CLICK ON "Read More" BELOW TO SEE PICTURES, VIDEOS, AND READ FAITH'S STORY*****

- 2025 Update: All we have left is debt; Faith is fine, so donations have been turned off. I'm just keeping this for childhood cancer awareness and to share my daughter's story to help spread this so that more and more people know about the kids and the gold.

OUR SLOGAN: Cancer Sucks Faith Rocks! (To keep up-to-date with Faith’s current journey, scroll to the “Updates” click on that and you can read those one by one)

Chances are that most of us have experienced those moments when we were watching a show or a game on our T.V. or a video on the internet, and suddenly, we are interrupted by one of those St. Jude’s Hospital commercials. Some of us might have been annoyed by it, some of us might have felt sad and discouraged, some of us might have felt moved and wanted to donate but never did, some of us maybe said a quick prayer for the kids, some of us may have actually donated, and some of us might have muted the T.V. and used that moment to avoid dealing with the issue and instead walked into our kitchen to grab another drink or snack. After all, how many of us purposely want to watch anything about children suffering and dying? I ask you to read my daughter’s story in order to properly understand what this is all about.

**NEVER YOUR KID, RIGHT?**

As a parent, when you see or hear these commercials/ads, or anything similar, you think to yourself “that will NEVER be MY child!” Well…what if it was? My wife and I, like many parents, would feel a deep sadness and sometimes tears when watching these St. Jude stories. Especially if we were to think about diving deeper into understanding childhood cancer, it was rather easier to just ignore it altogether; this is the common practice for parents…to ignore in order to protect our hearts from feeling emotions that we’d rather not feel. When you think about adults having cancer…sure, it is sad; but it is not something that affects everyone in the same way as the children do. Adults are no longer children…they have lived and enjoyed that season of their lives, and some adults have enjoyed many years beyond their teen or college years. They’ve learned coping skills; they know how to express their feelings and pain with words; they have more life experiences, knowledge and strength. And adults with cancer have many more resources. Most adults are able to withstand more even independently. Beyond that, some of the cancers that we as adults may get can be prevented! The longer you live and depending on your lifestyle, location and other factors, the more likely you are a target for cancer. However, that’s a whole different story for children diagnosed with cancer because it is extremely unlikely there is anything you or your child could do to prevent it.

**THE SCARY DISCOVERY**

So, we loved life with our little Faith! …and then, a day before her 18-month appointment on December 19, 2013, something unusual happened. My wife was changing Faith’s diaper and noticed a nodule that was sticking out within her private area, like a bump. So, the next day at the appointment, she informed her pediatrician, and they performed an ultrasound. The doctors there were stumped by what it was and next thing we know, we were being sent to a pediatric surgeon at Cedar Sinai hospital. We started to really freak out and worry, as you can imagine. Sure, we prayed and tried to stay positive, but until you are in those shoes, you don’t realize how much harder it is to overcome fear and worry in such situations. After the results from the MRI were received, we were told by the doctor that it was a tumor, BUT he quickly said, “Don’t worry! We will just remove it and she’ll be fine!” He said not to worry because he was sure this would be benign; “everything else is normal, the location is uncommon; I remove these very often.”

**WHEN WE THOUGHT IT WAS ALL OVER!**

The surgery was on January 13, 2011 and it was a really rough experience. There were 12 medical professionals in our daughter’s hospital room, asking questions, taking notes, speaking to each other as if Faith was a specimen, while Faith was freaking out, and we were being taught to stay calm and smile because the child will feed off the parent’s emotions. That night was so stressful and exhausting in every way. After the recovery period on the next day, Faith was back to her happy self, and we enjoyed the rest of the time in L.A. eating and walking around. This whole fearful experience was over and now we can go back to our lives!

**THE SCARIEST DAY OF OUR LIVES**

January 15, 2014…I’m working in an office of a former employer and suddenly I get a call from my wife. She is crying hysterically…never heard that before from her and I was very worried about what may have happened to her. I tried to console her and then trying to gasp for air she simply said, “Faith has cancer.” There were other words, but I was in so much shock that my emotions and my mind were immediately shut off and I couldn’t even react; immediate numbness. As one who could shed a tear when seeing a St. Jude’s commercial, I suddenly realized “wait…now it IS my child!” What now?

Rhabdomyosarcoma…one of the 41 different childhood cancers and subtypes (LINK). It affects about 4 in 1 million children per year. We had no idea that there was much more than just Leukemia and brain tumors and a couple of other possible cancers that affect children that are not common in adults. We had now entered the unknown world of childhood cancer.

**THE BEGINNING OF THE HARD JOURNEY**

On January 24, 2014 we met with who would become Faith’s Oncologist, Dr. Federman from UCLA.

All of the sudden, nothing else is nearly as important as taking care of your child. However, we thought, “the tumor was removed! This should probably already be over, right?!” Her Oncologist at UCLA said it is far from over…the next 5 years will be tough, especially the first year of treatment. What?! What do you mean?!!! The week of January 24, 2014, Faith would begin with her PET scan, MRI, bone scan, bone marrow aspiration, and surgery for placing the portocath in her chest…and yes, chemotherapy for 47 weeks straight and 5 weeks of radiation with more MRIs and PET scans and labs and other tests to follow for the next 5 years until near the end of 2019! The journey also would involve us doing the best we can to prevent sickness or fevers that can send her to the emergency room and possible admission to the hospital. As she received the chemo drugs, her immune system would be at an all-time low within about 7 days from having that chemo treatment. In other words, the reality is that the worst-case scenario is death from an illness or infection completely unrelated to the cancer. But we planned to do everything possible to keep her safe and help her through this battle. Playing with other kids was something she didn’t experience until about 3 years later because of the risks factors due to having low neutrophil counts, making her more likely to have a serious infection. Faith also suffered from a lot of side effects, and it was seriously awful to watch every single day. It hurt so much to see her go through that and was debilitating as a parent because there was absolutely nothing we could do to stop the pain.

************VIDEO OF FAITH COMING OUT OF ANESTHESIA*******

**THE DREADED MOVE**

During the time of the radiation treatments, I moved my wife and Faith to an apartment in La Brea while I stayed alone in Bakersfield so that I could work and because they needed to be very close to the hospital. I was not yet eligible to go on an FMLA leave and even if I did, we wouldn’t be able to afford paying our regular bills. As she received the chemo drugs (VA -Vincristine and mainly the “A” Actinomycin), her immune system was at an all time low within about 7 days from having that chemo treatment. In other words, the reality is that the worst case scenario is death from an illness or infection completely unrelated to the cancer. But we will do everything possible to keep her safe and help her through this battle.

I was only able to make it to one radiation treatment and about 3 our of the 47 chemo treatments, which was one of the hardest things for me as a husband and father who wanted to support my girls so badly in every way I could. I opened a fundraiser on the gofundme.com site because even with great insurance and financial help here and there from family, friends, colleagues, and local charities, we still couldn’t afford paying for medical bills, let alone food, gas, and other expenses. We had to get credit cards to pay for food and gas. I hated what cancer was making my daughter go through, but I was inspired by the strength and resilience she had…it led me to create our motto “cancersucksfaithrocks!” That would become what was shared on Facebook across the U.S. and some countries as Faith’s story was shared.

*****************VIDEO OF FAITH GOING INTO RADIATION BEFORE THEY START*********:

After all the chemo and radiation treatments ended, Faith went through 4 years of becoming a regular visitor for all her scans and Oncology visits. We became familiar with the term “scanxiety”, a normal word amongst the cancer population used to describe the stress and worry you feel before and during the test, and worst of all, waiting for the test results. We were so thankful and relieved every time we received an N.E.D. (No Evidence of Disease) result each time, though it didn’t mean the cancer was gone, but the more of these that came, the more hopeful we became. With that said, it was really difficult seeing that some of the kids Faith played with at the hospital or met through our local group, lost their battle with cancer. A few of them had the same cancer as Faith, and one of them who had been in remission, received NED results time and time again, and then declared cancer-free, had found that his last scan was a misread and the cancer had actually spread…he died a few months after. I had so many days where my mind and my emotions were constantly beating me down; too many stories and memories to share. But I remember one where I was sitting on the chair in her room and as I watched quietly as she danced like a princess, my hearing was cut off, deafened, and one thought came to my mind: “take this moment in because who knows if this will be the last time you see her dance?” and I cried quietly, smiling if my daughter looked at me so she wouldn’t notice I was in pain. My wife and I had to endure this for years while our daughter, not understanding what was happening to her, endured great physical pain, and what we would later find out, difficult challenges for her mental health.

**WHY DO WE NEED YOUR HELP?**

We, like every single other person around us is struggling financially. We married in 2006 with each one of us coming off previous bankruptcies, and then after experiencing unemployment 4 times in 6 years, our first joint bankruptcy came. The student loan payments continue and we barely make it each month. We don’t go out, don’t go shopping, don’t have car payments, stopped using credit cards before our bankruptcy, and Heide is very wise in her planning and use of coupons and sales. But even with our strategic budgeting and striving to live below our means, when cancer strikes, the gas, food, lodging (mainly the 5 weeks that Heide will have to stay in extended housing near the hospital while Leo stays in Bakersfield working), and lastly will be all the medical bills that will come and that no matter what we do, we will never be able to prepare for, nor afford. Still in 2025 we live on with thousands of dollars in debt; but others struggle much more.

We hope that through Gofundme, you and our other friends and family will be able to make this just a little easier for us to endure. So we ask for your help, family, friends, friends of friends, and anyone that is moved in his or her heart to give anything to help us. All that matters is that Faith is able to have as normal of a life as possible, that’s all we care about.

Thank you very much for all your love, support, and prayers. We all love you very much and are beyond grateful for the help we’ve been given. Spread our motto: “Cancer Sucks Faith Rocks!” (#cancersucksfaithrocks) (*****SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE PICTURES*****)

*************VIDEOS OF FAITH IN THE LOCAL NEWS*************

**WHY GOD? …AND A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE**

Two surgeries in one month, 4 scans, and two other procedures, plus her first chemo treatment on the last of 4 days at Mattel Children’s hospital of UCLA. Talk about a lot for a child to go through, not to mention that she is very small in size. And of course, as parents, we had no control whatsoever, and no matter how much we try to comfort her, she was well aware of all the doctors and nurses and needles and…it was a lot! What else could we do but pray and lean on God who comforts us in all our troubles, gives us strength to go on, and reminds us of unconditional love in the sacrifice of his one and only Son. We were showered by prayers and love from hundreds of friends and family from all over and when we saw that, we saw God; plain and simple. We still struggle from time to time, getting emotional, shedding some tears, feeling anxious, having fear of the unknown and the future, you name it, since anything (bad) is possible, your mind can play tricks on you. At the same time, however, "all things are possible with God", and so we struggle in the battle for our minds and hearts. Now it’s time to face the fact that this is part of God’s plan and it is still within the words of Jeremiah 29:11-13 “I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart; I will be found by you, declares the Lord.” It sounds like Faith having cancer is a complete contradiction of this scripture, doesn’t it??...however, not if you know the God we know. It is obvious that God has amazing plans for this little trooper and she will have a huge impact in the lives of many in this world. We believe God will use her to be a huge inspiration to lots of other children and to adults as well. We hope that in the beginning of 2017 or 2018 we will be able to design and buy a T-shirt for Faith, for us, and for our family and friends that want it, that reveal the good news that Faith has fought against and conquered cancer! We look forward to hearing her say “I’m a cancer survivor!”

**FINAL OUTCOME**

But this story, unlike others, has a happy ending. Fast-forward to September 2019…we received that long-awaited phone call. Faith was declared cancer-free!! We give credit where credit is due, and at the top of the list it is God who cured our daughter and got us all through this horrible ordeal mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. It was the amazing and loving doctors and nurses who ensured the treatments Faith received were excellently done and that we would have emotional and mental support. It is the old, harmful, and yet in Faith’s case, effective chemo and radiation that physically removed much of the cancer. We are forever grateful, and it is so hard to even tell this story in light of all the kids and families we’ve known who have actually witnessed their child lose their battle.

We knew that if faith’s cancer returned, the possibility of survival was extremely low as we had found through many children in childhood cancer groups we had joined in person and online. We lived with the fear of the cancer returning for years, and with the constant reminder that the radiation from all the treatments and the years of MRIs and CT scans could cause a secondary cancer; it’s always on your mind, even at times today. I find myself sometimes looking at faith’s arms and neck and back, etc., just wondering if I’ll see another bump, but I stop myself, centering on my faith, which doesn’t guarantee perfect health, obviously as we learned with Faith, but it guarantees the support, comfort, and peace that only God could bring to each of us in the midst of any circumstance.

**ANOTHER SCARE**

For kids with cancer, the battle doesn’t end after they’ve been declared cancer-free. Faith has had many friends that have had to have surgeries, tests, and treatments for conditions caused by the chemo and radiation, which affects children more than adults due to the fact that these treatments are administered as the child’s body is still developing. Thus, this is a big reason why childhood cancer awareness and donating to childhood cancer research is so crucial. Without money there is no way for us to ensure that new treatments can be developed so that kids will not keep suffering for years to come as a result.

In 2021 we experienced Faith’s first possible long-term side effect from radiation affecting her bladder and going to the restroom. The entire year was an awful experience, with her staying in the restroom between a minimum of one hour up to 6 or 7 hours at a time. We didn’t go out as a family anywhere for almost the entire year except to UCLA for necessary visits. School was a mess, and we were a mess. Faith’s bed time could be 12am or 2am on most nights. For a while, things seemed to get better, but it returned in 2022 and we are still working with Faith through her struggle to lower the impact of the issue as much as possible by way of what we’ve learned through last year’s battle and the little bit of therapy that Faith was able to receive for her mental health that was affected by this. Thankfully she is doing well fighting it; much better than last year. We can’t fix the physical issue, so we will have to see another doctor about that if things don’t improve. We don’t know what else she will face in the future, as other side effects especially affecting her reproductive system may be likely, but she is a brave warrior who overcomes and perseveres! Not all kids have it as “easy” as our daughter has. Don’t get me wrong, what Faith went through is downright absolutely awful, but there are other kids who have some stories that I sometimes don’t even have the stomach and heart to read about. I speak of cancer survivors who have to deal with terrible side effects that alter their lifestyle and future adult lives.

We celebrate when a child is in remission…we celebrate when a child has been declared cancer-free…but we forget that the need goes beyond helping the kids to go through these treatments with the hope that they will work, but that the treatments will be updated and improved so that the kids won’t suffer after they have fought such a hard battle.

*************MORE VIDEOS OR PICS UNDER "UPDATES"**************

**CONCLUDING REMARKS**

Please consider the reality of this huge problem…it is all around you. Not all kids with cancer have bald heads. You may never know that a child living down the street from you has cancer and that they and their family are suffering in these ways. Did you ever know September was childhood cancer awareness month? Did you know about the gold ribbon as much as you know what “Pink” is for? Chances are 99% of everyone who reads this was not truly familiar with childhood cancer’s facts, stories, month, and ribbon color. That lack of awareness literally allows these kids to continue to suffer. Incredible improvements in testing and treatment were made for breast cancer patients as a result of the massive push for awareness over the years. Everyone knows Pink. If you can help get the “Gold” to the same place, imagine how many kids will be saved and have a normal and happy life! Consider the reality of how much power your donation can have! Thank you so much for reading Faith’s story; and from the bottom of our hearts, and I speak for all the kids, thank you any donation you are able to provide.

For more information on Rhabdomyosarcoma, go to:

http://sarcomahelp.org/rhabdomyosarcoma.html

Support and raise awareness for children’s cancer by wearing a gold colored ribbon or bracelet (the official color for childhood cancer awareness)