It was supposed to be the perfect year. The Reyes family had escaped to rural Oklahoma—just Leόn, Lauren, their three kids, and peace. Then, on October 16, 2024, while Elliana was in a hammock with her mama...
Everything changed in an instant.
Elliana passed out. She looked gray. By sunrise, she was being airlifted to Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. By the next morning, the family received the diagnosis no parent ever wants to hear:
Your baby has leukemia.
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/ / Six Months of Fighting for Her Life / /
Elliana was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML)—an aggressive, fast-moving cancer that required immediate and intensive treatment. What followed was six months of living in the hospital, watching their baby girl endure round after round of high-powered chemotherapy.
But the Reyes family refused to be separated. They moved their entire life into the hospital—15-year-old Micah, 9-year-old Bella, and both parents rotating between Elliana's bedside and a room at the Ronald McDonald House down the street, where they would remain until July 2025.
- They continued homeschooling in the hallways.
- Micah practiced football drills on patches of grass outside and played piano in the atrium.
- Bella became such a beloved fixture on the oncology floor that doctors credited her with helping other young cancer patients find the courage to get out of bed and walk the halls.
For Leόn, the decision was agonizing but immediate. The construction business he had built from the ground up—years of work, sacrifice, and dreams for his family's future—had to be abandoned.
Not paused.
Not handed off.
Abandoned.
There was no way to run a company while living in a hospital, no way to serve clients while holding his daughter's hand through chemo, no way to build a future while fighting for her survival. He watched everything he had worked for slip away because there was no other choice.
His family needed him more.
And Leόn? He did what he's always done. He pulled out his guitar and sang—worship songs on hospital rooftops, lullabies to calm Elliana through the worst of her treatments, and eventually, a song called "The Unknown" that he recorded in the hospital's studio and played for every terrified new parent who walked onto that floor.
Watch the family’s video and hear Leon’s song, "The Unknown" here:
Through sleepless nights, terrifying setbacks, and more fear than any family should have to carry, they held on to each other—and to God.
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/ / She Rang the Bell / /
On May 5, 2025, Elliana completed her final round of chemotherapy and rang the bell—the beautiful tradition signaling the end of cancer treatment.
She is in remission.
Her prognosis is excellent.
She is their miracle.
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/ / But the Road Home Has Been Harder Than Anyone Expected / /
While the Reyes family was blessed beyond measure to bring their daughter home, they came back to a life that had been completely devastated.
Their savings are gone. Their income is gone. And the fear and exhaustion don't simply disappear when you walk out of the hospital doors.
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/ / Where They Are Now / /
Here's the hard truth: the Reyes family is currently homeless.
They're staying with friends in the DFW Metroplex—a family of five crowded into a temporary situation that will no longer be available in just a few weeks.
They have nowhere to go.
The good news is that Elliana's medical bills have been covered. But everything else is gone.
Their business.
Their savings.
Their home.
And here's what makes rebuilding so difficult: Elliana still requires full-time care as she continues to recover.
Lauren is dedicating herself to nursing their daughter back to health—which means Leόn is the sole provider for a family of five, and he's starting from zero. He's actively searching for work, but they need a bridge to get them through the next few months while he finds stable employment and gets the family back on solid ground.
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/ / How Your Donation Helps / /
This fund will go directly toward:
- Securing housing — The immediate and most urgent need. They need a safe, stable place for their family within the next few weeks. They need a first month of rent + a deposit.
- Covering living expenses — Rent, utilities, food, and basic necessities while Leόn searches for employment. They need several months of essential needs for a family of five.
- Providing a runway to rebuild — Giving this family the breathing room to recover from trauma, care for Elliana, and establish a new foundation. They need to regain stability after losing their family business.
Every dollar goes toward giving this family a fighting chance to get back on their feet. If we exceed this goal, any additional funds will go toward continued medical follow-ups and long-term stability for Elliana.
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/ / Why I'm Asking You to Help / /
I'm raising this fund on behalf of the Reyes family because they would never ask for themselves. They have been my friends for over 17 years.
I've watched them walk through the fire this past year, and I know what it's cost them—emotionally, physically, and financially.
They gave everything to save their daughter's life. Now they need help putting the pieces back together.
Cancer doesn't ask permission to upend your life. And this family—who spent six months singing worship songs in hospital hallways, lifting up other families in the midst of their own nightmare, and refusing to let their children face this journey alone—deserves a fighting chance to rebuild.
- Every donation, no matter how small, helps them get one step closer to stability.
- Every prayer lifts them up.
- Every share extends our reach to someone else who might be moved to help.
They carried each other through the darkest season of their lives. Now it's our turn to help carry them.
Please consider donating and sharing this campaign.
To learn more about Elliana's story, read the full feature from Cook Children's Newsroom