Sofia

My name is Sofia, and I’m 3 years old and soon will turn 4.  There are 4 kids total

in my family; Rogelio is 5 Aurora is 2 and Alonso is 2.  My mom and dad say that

we are a busy but fun crowd.

When I was born, my parents said they were so happy to have a little girl!  I was a

happy, healthy baby.  Shortly after turning 3 years old, I started to feel very tired

and didn’t feel like my usual self.  I began to feel a sharp pain under my

arm. After a couple of weeks of me being more and more irritable, my mom took

me into the doctor’s office where they took an x-ray of my shoulder.  The doctor

said nothing was wrong and to calm the pain with Tylenol.   Two days later, I

seemed not to have any energy and spiked a fever.

My mom took me to the doctor’s office again and she decided to get a urine

sample. I suddenly got a nose bleed and the doctor decided to skip the urine

sample and run blood work instead.  This was a Thursday in June at 9 in the

morning.  Labs came back, but without saying what was wrong, the doctor sent us

to Mercy Hospital to run blood work there.  Then we came back to the clinic and

waited for results.  I felt so tired and just slept the whole time.  Tita, my grandma,

baby Alonso, Aurora and mommy were with me the whole time.   My mom said

she and Tita were not feeling good about waiting so long, and thought something

really bad was wrong with me.  About 3:30 that afternoon, the doctor walked in

and told my mom I have Leukemia. She said mommy should call my dad because

the Children’s hospital was already waiting for me.

After my parents spoke to the oncologist in the children’s hospital and learned

what was wrong with me, they got really sad, but at the same time they became

stronger.  The doctor said he himself had leukemia as a boy and was doing very

well as an adult! That made my mom and dad feel better about this scary

diagnosis.  On Monday of the next week, I started my first chemotherapy.  I’ve

had ups and downs, but I am doing very well with this treatment.   I love coming

to the hospital.  There are always nice people here to play with me and do crafts.

Sometimes, my brothers and sisters come with me, too.  I have lots of fun here.

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