On August 28, 2018 our beautiful hero and two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Sienna, who also happens to rock an extra chromosome, was diagnosed with cancer. There was nothing in the world that could prepare us for that dreadful moment that her oncologist would confirm her diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
After our long 8-month battle fighting for Sienna’s life, we consider her and our family survivors, but we could not have survived this battle without the love, kindness, support and prayers and so much more from our community, friends and family.
In the U.S., 15,780 children under the age of 21 are diagnosed with cancer every year. Pediatric Cancer turns the lives of the entire family upside down. Our hearts hurt thinking about this number because our daughter makes up this number and we know the emotional toll and overwhelming impact that comes with this terrible disease.
Until there is a cure, many families will unfortunately, continue to receive the most devastating diagnosis of cancer for their child. This diagnosis will not only shatter their lives into a million little pieces, but it will leave them feeling alone and lost in a world they will have no idea how to navigate. Going through this experience first hand, we believe that no child should fight alone, and that no family should fight alone.
With the support of many friends and family we have begun an initiative to provide each newly diagnosed family coming into CHOC Childen’s Hospital in Orange, California with a Warrior Family Care Package. Each care package includes extended hospital stay essentials (toiletries/hospital parking passes/journal/pediatric cancer book guide, etc.), meals, and some financial support for those first few days they are in the hospital as they transition into a new way of new life of dealing with a cancer diagnosis, medical procedures and long-term intensive treatments. Our only hope and prayer for these families, is that they never feel alone in this roller-coaster of a new journey and they feel the love and support from a community of individuals who will fight alongside them.