“My son Kelvi was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of 10 and relapsed at 14 while on treatment, making this a very long journey for Kelvi and our family. Thank God we connected with Friends of Karen, because they became a great support system for me and my children. Our Friends of Karen social worker Rhonda provided emotional support and guidance, including how to have difficult conversations about Kelvi’s illness. Friends of Karen supported me financially by helping pay some household bills, which meant I did not have to worry so much.

Melissa, a child life specialist, helped Kelvi and his sisters Keylina (age 12) and Keyla (age 7) develop a better understanding of Kelvi’s Leukemia beyond what I could explain.
She worked with them to identify ways to cope with the challenge of living with a seriously ill brother.

The support and guidance I received played a huge part in surviving this journey. I felt guilty not being able to help Kelvi initially because I didn’t know the words to use. Melissa guided me to find new ways to gently encourage him.
I noticed when Kelvi received emotional support from Melissa, he was in better spirits and felt like he could take on small challenges. Today, he’s considered cancer free and is a happy and confident boy because of the outpouring of love and support Friends of Karen has provided. Every day I thank God for putting this second family in my life, because Friends Karen is for us, a family.”

—Isalina, Kelvi’s mother