Support Perla in Her Battle Against ;

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS)

Stage 3

Intermediate-risk: 50-70%

42 weeks of chemo and radiation

On Tuesday, February 11, the Little Perlas family's life was unknowingly about to turn upside down. Perla, my 13-year-old niece, was sent to the emergency room for issues with her right eye. She had been experiencing pain, swelling, and headaches for about a month, which had gone undiagnosed until this visit to the ER. There, a mass inside and behind her eye was discovered. Perla was immediately admitted to UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, where she has undergone many procedures over the last week, including several biopsies, and has even started chemotherapy. Perla is determined to recover quickly from what is in her path in order to be there with her 4 sisters and best friends, Amaya, Adalia, Valeria and Mia. She wants to dance in her first-ever school dance, compete in future wrestling matches for her school wrestling team, become a high school student, and live a long, fulfilling, and giving life.

Unfortunately, this diagnosis has been the beginning of a nightmare. A few days after the mass was discovered, we are still awaiting a full care plan. In just a week, Perla’s vision has deteriorated, and the mass has increased in size. It was diagnosed to be Rhabdomyosarcoma, an extremely rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer.

Over the past couple of months, Perla and her family have been living a real-life nightmare. Perla has been through countless tests, scans, procedures, and surgery for her port to fight this extremely aggressive cancer. Starting her first rounds of chemotherapy has not proven to be effective in shrinking the masses in her eye, resulting in the masses obstructing her vision. This required surgery for her earlier this week for both a port and numerous biopsies. We are praying chemo stops the mass increase.

Perla is currently under the care of the most phenomenal team at the UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio—experts in this rare form of cancer. Perla will now undergo radiation and chemotherapy treatments until a complete care plan is in place, which could be weeks, in hopes of shrinking the mass in her eye in order to save her vision, motor skills, and life, and be able to return home to continue with outpatient chemotherapy and radiation, which could last at least a year.

We are raising money in order to support my sister, her daughters, and beloved niece, Perla, in the greatest fight of their lives. In order to provide their daughter with the best treatment in the country, it comes with a great financial cost. Her mother will be out of work for an undetermined amount of time to be there by her daughter’s side in treatment, healing, and prayer, which will have a significant impact on their financial situation as well as the costs of traveling, hotels, meals, housing, and other treatment-related costs.

We would greatly appreciate all donations to assist them in their battle against sarcoma. We are so thankful for the generosity and support received!