Hello, my name is Grace. Everyone who loves and adores me calls me Gracie. I am 4 years old, and I am the only daughter out of 6 siblings. I am the second youngest and I'm surrounded by brothers. On February 7th, I was diagnosed with a rare, high-grade cancer developing in soft tissues called Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). So, here’s how it all began, my 1-year-old brother accidentally threw a mini car at my eye, and the doctor said that somehow the tumor revealed itself. What a blessing in disguise it was right? My parents took me to the hospital to seek care for my swollen eye and found I had a tumor growing. Funny story, they took me in for a CT scan and I ran out of the room the first time. The second time around my mom had a conversation with me and she asked me “Buddy, do you wanna go home”? And I respond “yeah”. I walked into the CT room and played 6, 7 without undergoing anesthesia. I got admitted from Manteca to Roseville within two hours of being seen. We now drive an hour away every Monday so that I can do chemotherapy. We have not missed or reschedule an appointment yet thanks to my parents. I am making very great progress because I myself is very strong. I am learning to put words into sentences now, before I couldn't do that. They said the tumor played a big part in my speech development.

I was attending TK a couple of months ago. Before I left for San Diego, my parents took me to visit my classmates one last time. They all made me a shirt and a teddy bear, whom we decided to name Backyard. I received plenty of cards made by my classmates. This really warms my heart, and I really wish them the best years of their lives. I also want to thank my teacher, Ms. Del La Rossa, for reaching out to my mommy to see how I was doing since treatment has started. My parents did the right thing pulling me out of school to ensure I got the care I needed.

But, some weeks are pretty easy; I have been kicking chemotherapy in the butt, but some weeks are pretty rough. I recently arrived in San Diego on May 1st so I could begin radiation at the California Protons facility, and I will continue my chemotherapy here at the San Diego Kaiser Medical Center. My parents brought all my siblings because they play a big role in my recovery. Currently, I am receiving radiation five days a week, and it will continue for six weeks if everything goes as planned. A lot of my friends and family have been reaching out to see how they could help support our family navigate this financial burden as it will take a whole village of support to help me on this road to recovery. I want to thank everyone who kept me in their prayers for in my family, faith is everything. I hope to keep you all updated. Every donation will go towards my medical expenses, including travels and recovery. Thank you