Please Help Lily Cartagena Fight Leukemia

Hello all. I know my aunt, JoAnn, has been keeping everyone posted on Lily’s progress, but I would like to follow up. Currently, my son Josh and his family spend at least two days a week traveling to Childrens Hospital in DC. We are very thankful that such an incredible place exists relatively close to home. Childrens has been good to Lily. They treat her as if she’s their only patient while they administer chemo, spinal taps, plus other multiple tests including bone marrow to know how she is reacting to her treatment. Soon we will be preparing for a long, difficult phase three, which is the most invasive part of living with Leukemia (ALL). She will be hospitalized for months during this time. This will be a huge hurdle for the family. A young family which has grown since Lily’s diagnosis. To say the least, things are very busy and stressful right now, but we all have felt the love and prayers that continue to come in for our little sweetheart. The entire family wants to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts. We have a long road ahead, but hopefully someday soon, they will have a cure for cancer.

Hi, my name is Jaime. I never thought there would be a need to ask for help on social media. I never thought I would be saying my granddaughter has cancer. On June 21, 2023, we found out Lily, my son Josh’s daughter, who is three years old was diagnosed with Leukemia (ALL). B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia is an aggressive, fast-growing, type of leukemia that is found in the bone marrow and blood.

Unfortunately, when you have poor insurance things get overlooked. It took Josh and Brenda three trips to two different hospitals to get someone to listen to them about Lily’s symptoms. Thankfully, after her parents pursued the issue, they diagnosed Lily and started treatment. The treatment is intense. Transfusions, bone marrow, spinal tap and a port in her chest for chemotherapy all took place one day after her diagnosis.

When she arrived at Childrens Hospital, they said Lily is in for a long road of treatments and would be admitted for at least the next 30 days. Besides the costly medical bills Lily’s treatment will create, Josh and Brenda have two other young children at home. To say the least, managing meals, transportation and normal household expenses for the family will be a huge challenge during this time. At such a difficult time, money should be the last thing they need to worry about.

We, as a family, are reaching out to our extended family and friends for support, which isn’t the easiest thing to do. Any donation, no matter the size, would be such a great help and genuinely appreciated. The Cartagena, Mondragon, Ford and Davis families would be very grateful if you could share our fundraiser link on social media. Please keep Lily and her family in your prayers and thank you!