In October of 2020 Jennifer was an athletic ten-year old who loved to swim, skate, play football and bicycle ride. One day she started to complain that she felt pain in her body, but her father Miguel thought she might just be sore from all her activities.
Over time it did not get better, so he took her to the pediatrician. Her doctor ran some tests and blood work and when the results came back, she was immediately sent to the Emergency Room for additional testing. The family was given the devastating news that Jennifer had Leukemia, and she was admitted to the hospital to start chemotherapy right away.
The impact of Jennifer’s cancer diagnosis was immediate, as her mother Raquel had to stop working so she could be at Jennifer’s bedside throughout her two years of cancer treatment. The hospital referred the family to Friends of Karen, and they were paired with Jackie, one of our three bilingual social workers so the family was able to communicate comfortably in Spanish, their preferred language.
Jackie ensured that Friends of Karen was able to help the family with psychosocial, financial and advocacy support, including helping pay their rent while Jennifer was in treatment. Friends of Karen also provided backto- school supplies and holiday gifts for Jennifer and her older brother Carlos. Today, Jennifer is fourteen years old and is cancer free and doing well.
Her parents are thankful for the help they received, and Raquel recently shared with Jackie what that meant to her family. “We are very grateful for all the support Friends of Karen has provided both emotional and financial. They have been a light in our path until the final days of Jennifer’s treatment.”