Julianna's Journey
Donation protected
We are writing on behalf of our lifelong friend, our family, our brother, Michael Cappello and his wife Patricia. Mike and Patricia were married on June 11, 2011 and longed to start a family. After several years of struggling to conceive, God answered their prayers. God blessed them with a perfect healthy baby girl. Their precious gift from God, Julianna, was born on July 30, 2015. All their dreams and wishes had come true.
Their daughter, Julianna, a happy, bright and normal child whose smile and giggles warmed all those around her, suddenly was not the same child. In the course of three weeks she became extremely irritable and started to vomit frequently. She developed anxiety. Soon she stopped eating and playing. She was sleeping almost all day. One of the most obvious indications that something was seriously wrong was Julianna’s eyes looked different.
After several trips and phone calls to the pediatrician and emergency room, they kept getting sent home without clear answers.
Patricia and Mike did not realize this was the start of a nightmare. Their world as they knew it would no longer exist. The initial findings showed abnormal fluid buildup around the brain, a condition called hydrocephalus. An MRI revealed that there were multiple cancerous tumors on the brain and spine, including a large one on the base of her neck.
Several procedures have been performed including the insertion of a drain and a 7 hour surgery to remove a large tumor. Recently she had surgery to insert a port for chemo and also an additional procedure to install a shunt to manage the fluid in her brain. Currently, after all of these surgeries, Julianna is in ICU for 24/7 monitoring due to a more recent condition of respiratory distress and breathing issues.
After 3 long, agonizing weeks of waiting for confirmed pathology results, Julianna’s diagnosis is Hydrocephalus and Medullablastoma. This type of brain cancer in children often spreads to the brain and spinal cord as it has in Julianna. Radiation and chemotherapy treatments have already started.
Although Julianna is covered under medical insurance, they will have many unpaid expenses and bills that will continue to increase. Patricia is a stay at home mom and Michael is only working a few hours a week to be next to his daughter.
Julianna is their shining star, the beat of their heart, their world, their reason for living, their everything. Please find it in your heart to help them financially in this most difficult time. Above all, we are asking for your prayers to help this beautiful girl beat brain cancer and overcome the biggest fight of her life.
Regular updates will be posted. Thank you for your continued love and support.
Their daughter, Julianna, a happy, bright and normal child whose smile and giggles warmed all those around her, suddenly was not the same child. In the course of three weeks she became extremely irritable and started to vomit frequently. She developed anxiety. Soon she stopped eating and playing. She was sleeping almost all day. One of the most obvious indications that something was seriously wrong was Julianna’s eyes looked different.
After several trips and phone calls to the pediatrician and emergency room, they kept getting sent home without clear answers.
Patricia and Mike did not realize this was the start of a nightmare. Their world as they knew it would no longer exist. The initial findings showed abnormal fluid buildup around the brain, a condition called hydrocephalus. An MRI revealed that there were multiple cancerous tumors on the brain and spine, including a large one on the base of her neck.
Several procedures have been performed including the insertion of a drain and a 7 hour surgery to remove a large tumor. Recently she had surgery to insert a port for chemo and also an additional procedure to install a shunt to manage the fluid in her brain. Currently, after all of these surgeries, Julianna is in ICU for 24/7 monitoring due to a more recent condition of respiratory distress and breathing issues.
After 3 long, agonizing weeks of waiting for confirmed pathology results, Julianna’s diagnosis is Hydrocephalus and Medullablastoma. This type of brain cancer in children often spreads to the brain and spinal cord as it has in Julianna. Radiation and chemotherapy treatments have already started.
Although Julianna is covered under medical insurance, they will have many unpaid expenses and bills that will continue to increase. Patricia is a stay at home mom and Michael is only working a few hours a week to be next to his daughter.
Julianna is their shining star, the beat of their heart, their world, their reason for living, their everything. Please find it in your heart to help them financially in this most difficult time. Above all, we are asking for your prayers to help this beautiful girl beat brain cancer and overcome the biggest fight of her life.
Regular updates will be posted. Thank you for your continued love and support.
Organizer and beneficiary
Juliana Tsiamtsiouris
Organizer
Berkshire, CT
Michael Cappello
Beneficiary
