Letter from Hospital Social Worker: Dear Supporters of the Jessica June Children’s Cancer Foundation,
Nicole is a 3-year-old girl that was diagnosed in January 2024 with Neuroblastoma. I remember the first time I met Nicole, her mother, Leydis, and her family. It was devastating-Nicole had been taken to surgery after discovering her Neuroblastoma, but they could not operate on it. The tumor was in such a position that, if operated on, Nicole’s life would be in jeopardy. The family surrounded her but were heartbroken and looking for answers. Nicole’s journey from that point was a challenging one, as you will read in her mother’s very impactful letter to you all. It was faced with many obstacles that, at times, felt impossible to overcome. Nicole, our brave little fighter, continues to push towards being cured.
While we hate that Nicole has had to face all this, being so small and so vulnerable, she has been blessed with something amazing- an incredible family. Her mother has made it her mission to see Nicole healthy again. She is Nicole’s best friend and the person that understands her most. She has never left Nicole’s side in the 18 months that preceded this. This meant that Leydis would have to give up her job to support her daughter. She did so without a second thought, knowing how much her daughter would need her. This left them vulnerable to so much and there was always the looming worry of how they would pay their rent, car, transportation, diapers, groceries, etc. The loss of an income like this throws a family into a tailspin. Your help to this family would mean stability so mom can continue to strive for Nicole’s recovery. We hope that the treatments and efforts of all bring forward a cure for her.
I leave you with one of my most heart-tugging memories of a conversation with Nicole’s mom. I went to her and found her crying. I sat with her as she gave me a peek into this hard life she was drafted into. I remember her telling me that she is surprised by people telling her how strong she is for being the parent of a child with cancer, when all she was doing was simply being a mom – something she would choose over anything. I took it as a beautiful testament to her love for her daughter. Your support for this family would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Kind Regards,Pediatric Social Worker, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
Plea from Mother: Hello, I am a single mother, Cuban, with only about 3.5 years in this country. I am the mother of Nicole. In January 2024, at only 21-months-old, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, with her primary lesion in her abdomen and metastasis in almost all her bones and liver. Automatically, I had to leave my job, leaving me with absolutely no income, and no other choice than to support and care for my little one, who can’t do so for herself.
At the start of treatment, Nicole became completely blind for 8 months and stopped walking for 4 months. She has also lost her hearing because of chemotherapy. Although she has made improvements with her vision and returned to walking, she still requires all my attention. She has been diagnosed with developmental delays and does not speak because of her illness. Her extensive treatments and long hospital stays have not been conducive to the proper development of my child. She needs my help to feed her, shower her, and more throughout her day. I must give her all medications, including daily injections for at least 7 days, sometimes more, after every chemotherapy admission.
From the beginning of her diagnosis, Nicole was hospitalized for about 3 consecutive months and experienced high blood pressure for about 11 months. To this date, she has received 15 cycles of chemotherapy, 11 of immunotherapy, 1 autologous bone marrow transplant, 20 sessions of radiation (to her abdomen, liver, and lumbar area), 46 platelet transfusions, 22 blood transfusions, and 1 plasma transfusion. She has faced three admissions to the pediatric intensive care unit, had nephrostomy tubes for 1 month, and a stent placement in a ureter. Each admission we have faced between 7 and 80 days in the hospital, with a frequency of return every 15 days. She has both a Medi-port and a PICC line that require a lot of care and attention from me daily.
Her last PET scan in January was before radiation and showed a lot of cancer still active in her body, mainly at her primary tumor. She has not been able to undergo surgery – the tumor is in a very difficult spot to operate on and would be too dangerous for Nicole to face. She was also not able to have a second transplant, as we had previously planned, because Nicole was too fragile and the risks were just too high.
It has been a very hard road and, up to now, we have covered our immediate expenses like rent and transportation through the assistance of donations from foundations. With your help, we can pay our rent. This is our biggest need. I can keep caring for my little one knowing she has a roof over her head and a home to go back to, where she can regain her strength to keep moving forward. We pray to God she will soon finish her treatments. Leydis
