Dear Friends,
We are the Ortiz family—Danny, Taylor, and our precious children: Bella, our sweet daughter, and her siblings, Dj (her big brother) and Callie (her little sister). On July 6th, our world was turned upside down when we rushed Bella to the ER at Baystate Medical Center, thinking she had an eye infection. What followed was a journey we never expected. Bella was transferred by ambulance to Boston Children’s Hospital, where doctors discovered a mass behind her left eye. After a CT scan, MRI, and biopsy, we received the devastating diagnosis: Bella has Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH), a rare disease that behaves like cancer.
LCH is aggressive, and Bella’s tumor has affected the bone and tissue near her brain. The treatment plan consists of weekly chemotherapy sessions that will likely last 6 to 12 months or longer, depending on how her body responds.
As parents, it’s heartbreaking to see our little girl in pain, asking questions like, “Mom, what’s behind my eye?” or “Dad, do we have to keep coming back to the hospital?” The uncertainty about the future and the physical changes Bella will go through is overwhelming. Watching her smile fade at times is unbearable. We wish so much that we could take this all away from her and endure it ourselves. Through it all, we are leaning on our faith in the Lord and the power of prayer. Your prayers mean more to us than words can express.
We are so grateful for the incredible care Bella is receiving at Boston Children’s Hospital and the support of her oncology team at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. The journey ahead will require frequent trips to Boston, but we are confident that with God’s guidance and your prayers, Bella will find strength to endure this challenge.
As we prepare for what will undoubtedly be a life-changing 6 to 12 months, we find comfort in knowing that God is working everything for His good, even in the midst of this storm.
Today, we humbly ask for your support—whether it’s a small donation or simply sharing our story and lifting Bella up in prayer. We believe in the power of prayer, and we trust that through this treatment, there is hope. Hope that we’ll watch Bella continue to catch butterflies in the backyard, hope that we’ll see her contagious smile shine again, hope that she will thrive in school and one day graduate with her high school diploma, hope that I’ll walk her down the aisle and give her away to a godly man, and hope that her story can inspire others who may one day face a similar battle.
Every bit of help means the world to us. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your kindness, love, and support during this incredibly difficult time.
With all our gratitude,
The Ortiz Family
