At the age of 7 Kelly was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma; the second most common bone cancer in children. Her parents discovered Jacob’s Heart through social media and their hospital social worker. Daniela, their Jacob’s Heart Family Support Specialist, quickly embraced them into our family of care as they welcomed us into theirs. As Kelly and her family continue to navigate life with her diagnosis, Jacob’s Heart will ensure their most basic needs are met so that they can focus on creating fun lasting memories as a family and Kelly can develop her skills as an artist.
“Jacob’s Heart has helped us with transportation, gas cards, and financial assistance which is a lot, especially during these difficult times when we are unable to work because we take care of our daughter. We have struggled financially and we are extremely glad with the help from Jacob’s Heart. Everyone is so nice and Kelly loves receiving monthly letters and getting to read all the sweet messages” -Blanca, Kelly’s Mom
Kelly’s parents recognize how artistically expressive she is and have given her the strength to persevere through the tough times so that she may continue to dream big. Kelly has a sweet relationship with her younger brother Juanito. This duo, commonly mistaken for twins, truly are shooting for the stars together as Kelly aspires to be a fashion designer and Juanito an astrophysicist and soccer player.
When Kelly was younger she would make clothes for Barbies made out of balloons and during Covid she would repurpose masks and make Barbie's clothes. We dream of seeing her designs go from Barbie to the runway! In the meantime, these siblings love drawing together or letting loose through dancing and creating Tik Toks.
We love to see children having fun and exploring as they should, even as they face the unimaginable. This is why when Kelly relapsed just after 1 year in remission, Jacob’s Heart continued to wrap this family in love as she completed a second round of treatment. Kelly is currently undergoing an experimental preventative treatment, requiring four trips to Columbus, Ohio at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Kelly’s parents managed to get to her first two appointments, but they needed support for their third trip. Daniela, at Jacob’s Heart, worked diligently as she reached into the community to create a network of hope, healing and support for Kelly and her family. In her research Daniela discovered Miracle Flights, an organization that was able to help get Kelly to her life-saving treatment in Ohio.
