From Playdates To Chemotherapy

When you are a seven-year-old girl, your focus is on playdates with your friends, spending time at school, and playing on your soccer team. But what happens when all of that is changed? When playdates with friends turns into spending time at the hospital or soccer practice turns into appointments for chemotherapy. During these critical years in a little girl's life, a cancer diagnosis is the last thing one may think can happen, but for Carla, it became her day-to-day reality. 

Carla was diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH) in April 2024. Shortly after her diagnosis, her family joined Jacob’s Heart and they were immediately welcomed onto our service. From the beginning, we were able to wrap her family in love as they began a journey with many ups and downs. To ease the burdens that come with a pediatric cancer journey we help meet practical needs for Carla’s family, yet it is the emotional support that truly brings them close to Jacob’s Heart. Through our Healing Hearts program and the warmth of our Family Center, our staff have become like extended family to them.  

“It [Jacob’s Heart] helped her with her diagnosis, knowing that she is not alone. She feels like she does not have to hide anything and that there is nothing wrong with what she is going through.” 

- Carla's Mom

Carla’s mom shared that Jacob’s Heart has become a special place for Carla and her younger brother, Carlos. Every week when they come to the Family Center, they are always ready to play tag, hide and seek, or create art projects. At Jacob’s Heart, Carla has found that she is not alone in a journey that can otherwise be quite isolating. During her treatment, Carla was often unsure of what was happening, from the different types of treatments she was receiving to missing school for appointments. One thing she did know is that she was going through something her friends were not. At times, she did not want to share with others that she had cancer. She had to stop playing on her soccer team and miss out on things that kids should be partaking in. But as soon as they came to the Family Center for the first time, Carla felt welcomed here. She knew that at Jacob’s Heart, she did not have to hide what she was going through.

“Carla mentioned that as soon as she walked in, she felt very welcomed and she did not have to hide anything. It has been a blessing for us. If it were up to them [Carla and her brother], they would be here everyday, all day long.”

- Carla's Mom

A few months ago, Carla invited her entire soccer team to our Family Center for a special pizza party and a fun afternoon of decorating grocery bags. She wanted to show her friends the place that has become meaningful to her and to share a piece of Jacob’s Heart with them. Moments like this remind us that our Family Center is more than a support space. It’s a place where families can connect, and where kids like Carla and her little brother can simply feel safe, play, and just be kids. We’re honored to be that place for them!

Carla is now in remission–she rang the bell with her family and some of our Family Support Specialists in attendance at the beginning of June. She is turning nine in July and soon, she will be on the soccer field with her team, with her parents as their coach. As she slowly gets back to finding her new life during remission, we will be there to support her and her family each step of the way! 

Thank you for supporting children like Carla and her family as they battle pediatric cancer. Your support ensures they do not have to face the unimaginable alone.

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