Hi everyone ! Ariana’s Aunt Tina asked me to help organize the fund raising platform to ease some of the burden on Larissa so she can focus on being with Ariana .

For those that know Larissa Zaragoza and her kids , they are an active family that enjoy horses , hiking and Ariana excelled  at Band and Track ! She is a very sweet 14 year old girl with a lifetime ahead of her .

Recently Ariana has had rapid weight loss , and other symptoms that signaled there might be an underlying cause . When Ariana had the flu … and still wasn’t bouncing back after a few weeks  , Rissa’s Mama Instincts … knew something wasn’t right … so she took her into the hospital , and after countless tests and procedures .. she was given the answers , that every parent fears .

Ariana was diagnosed with Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) .

Leukemia is a cancer that mostly affects white blood cells. White blood cells (also called leukocytes) fight infections.

Bone marrow is a spongy material inside the bones that makes white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. With leukemia, the bone marrow makes white blood cells that don’t work. These abnormal cells can’t protect the body from germs. They crowd the bone marrow, enter the bloodstream, and can spread to other parts of the body, like the lymph nodes, brain, or liver.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) happens when the body makes too many immature blood cells. These cells, called myeloid blasts, can't mature into normal white blood cells. About 20% of kids with leukemia have this type.

AML develops and gets worse quickly, so we are thankful for her early diagnosis. Doctors made the decision to start her on chemotherapy immediately.

Chemotherapy treatments are special drugs that kill cancer cells. Which drugs a child gets and in what combination depends on the subtype of AML and whether the cancer cells have mutations (genetic changes). How the cancer responds to the first treatment helps doctors decide how to choose the next type of chemo.

The treatment plan they have currently decided on is  an aggressive form of combination chemotherapy that will last for 8 months . Ariana will have to stay in the hospital at Vanderbilt for the entire course of the first treatment to be closely monitored and minimize her risk for any infections. 

 The ultimate goal is remission, which is when tests don't find any cancer cells in the body. Then, maintenance chemotherapy keeps someone  in remission and prevents the cancer from coming back. Kids get maintenance chemo for 2 to 3 years.

This will be a lengthy battle for their entire family , Larissa will need to be able to take time away from work and Ariana’s siblings to attend treatments , and as a single parent with 4 kids , our goal is to help alleviate some of the financial strain their family is going to face in the coming months .

Having a child being treated for cancer can feel overwhelming for any family. So we are asking every person to lock arms with this sweet Mama and remind her she’s not fighting alone.

Specific needs at this time are help with mortgage payments, and finances associated with travel for treatment. Please know we understand not everyone can give a large donation, but a $5 donation covers a hot cup of coffee in the hospital , and says sweetly … you’re not alone .

Please consider donating if you can and sharing this post.

You can follow their journey at

https://m.facebook.com/familystrongAML/

All funds will go directly to Ariana’s Mom -

Larissa Zaragoza .

Please pray for this sweet family and help any way that you can . Please reach out to Tina or Larissa with any questions about how you can help !