Together we can go twice as far for kids like Lena

No child should be in the hospital, much less during the Holidays. Thanks to you, families of sick children like Lena will receive the greatest gift of all: Hope that their child will have a healthy future.

Thank you for your generosity!


As the Holidays approach, my heart goes out to the sick children who will have to spend this special time in the hospital. As the parent of a child who spent months fighting for her life, I know all too well what they are going through.

I was not prepared for the day the unexpected happened to my child.

Lena hadn’t been her usual self. She wasn’t sleeping, was barely eating and she had low energy. She wanted to be in my arms every waking moment of every day. Then we noticed bruising all over her body and head. That’s when we rushed our 21-month-old-girl to The Children’s.

Within just 2 hours, we got the most devastating news of our life: our girl had high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia. We were immediately admitted to the oncology unit, where she started intense chemotherapy three days later.

As if that wasn’t enough, we learned she would undergo treatment for the next three years.

With heavy hearts, the doctors told us to forget our life as we knew it. Let me tell you, all your dreams, your plans, your business projects… everything comes to an abrupt halt.

After the tears, the anger, and the frustration, I decided to spring into action. We couldn’t change the diagnosis, but we could change our mindset.

We wanted to fight with everything that we had in us to make sure our little girl would be okay. Thankfully, you were there. We drew strength from your support.

Your generosity allowed for Lena and for us to celebrate life instead of dwelling in fear and anxiety.

Every time you see the doctors and nurses enter the room covered from head to toe, surrounded by sophisticated medical equipment, you are reminded of just how sick your child is. At The Children’s, they understand that. And thanks to your support, they put programs in place to accompany both the child and the family through these hardships.


Through your donations to the Hospital, you help to make sure children like ours don’t miss out on any childhood milestones. Thanks to you, I saw my daughter dance, sing and play with the amazing Child Life team. Since Lena had to be kept in isolation, they went above and beyond for her, even setting up a playroom right in her hospital room.

While Lena became an outpatient, several fever episodes forced her to spend holidays and even birthdays in a hospital room. The staff always made these moments spent at the Hospital something special and “normal” even though there was nothing normal about them.

You’ll be happy to learn that as of January 7th of this year, Lena is officially in remission.

After 854 days of treatment, “Supergirl” as everyone likes to call her, has blossomed into this fun-loving and dynamic kid, all thanks to the remarkable care and support we received. From the Hospital. From donors like you.

As the Holidays approach, my heart goes out to the parents, siblings and sick children who will have to spend the Holidays at the hospital. I truly hope that they can count on you to be there for them, as you were for us.

Your generosity provides families just like mine the comfort they need to weather the storm and stay strong for their child. Please make a gift and help brighten the Holidays of families like ours during these challenging times.

Sincerely,

Christina, mom of “Supergirl” Lena