Hi, my name is Tamra, and I’m organizing this fundraiser on behalf of my dear friend and coworker, Jenni, a devoted single mother and a special education teacher in Alexandria, Virginia. Her 22-month-old son, Emilio, was just diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) — a fast-moving cancer that has already reached his spinal fluid.

What started as a persistent fever, bruising, and jaundice quickly escalated. Emilio was hospitalized and immediately underwent a spinal tap, bone marrow extraction, and surgery to place a port in his chest. He began chemotherapy this past Friday and will continue weekly treatments for the foreseeable future, with a projected treatment plan lasting at least two years.

Jenni is currently unable to work as she cares for Emilio full-time. Her older daughter is staying with extended family while Jenni focuses on Emilio’s intensive medical needs. Though insurance just became active, the family is still facing immense out-of-pocket costs — including medical expenses, rent, groceries, transportation, childcare, and in-home care due to Emilio’s severely compromised immune system.

We are asking for your support to help lighten the financial burden on this loving mother while she navigates the unimaginable. No family is ever prepared for a diagnosis like this, and any contribution, no matter how small, makes a difference.

Jenni shares:

“Thank you for finding it in your hearts to support me and my child. This diagnosis came out of nowhere and changed our world overnight. We are so grateful for the love, prayers, and help during this time.”

If you’re unable to donate, please consider sharing this page to help us reach others who may be able to lend support. From the bottom of our hearts — thank you.