Stories

NO ROOM FOR DELAY: XIMENA

Hi! My name is Ximena, I like to be called Ximenita and I am 3 years old. Being at this little age I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, popularly known as blood cancer. Unfortunately, acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common type of cancer that can happen in childhood and it happens when a cell that is made in the bone marrow, white blood cells to be precise, present particular errors within its DNA and this error starts to spread to the rest of the cells. These cells are responsible for protecting the body against infections and other substances that are seen as strange to the body. The symptoms include enlargement of the lymph nodes, bruises, fevers, pain in the bones, getting easily infected and gum bleeding. The treatment of it can be either chemotherapy or through the use of localized drug delivery which both destroy cancerous cells but they are very painful especially when used in kids of my age.

Ximenita and her mother contacted us because the treatment she is undergoing, which is chemotherapies, has become very scarce especially nowadays that we are amid a global pandemic COVID-19 which has caused less resources being invested in this particular field within the health sector as other priorities have arisen. Her Mom told us: “I don't want my daughter's treatment to be stopped. She has been doing very well in her fight against leukemia. I know a lot of other kids need it but I don't want to stay empty-handed and loose my daughter. Please help me!”.

Ximenita needed a medicine called Cyclophosphamide IV of 500 mg in order to continue her therapies. With that in mind we introduced her in our program called #NotOneMoreWithoutChemoterapies we started looking for people that wanted to help Ximenita continue her chemotherapies and fortunately, a lot of people reached out to us and her mom and offered to help. We would like to thank everyone who helped Ximenita either financially or by spreading the word through social media. Like Ximenita, there are a lot of kids in the same situation. If you would like more information on how to help, follow us on social media so you can get constant updates on our projects and the needs of the kids. Find us on Instagram and Facebook : Healing Hands for Kids

No room for delay

3-year-old Ximenita fights against leukemia. She and her mom raise their voices against the shortage of chemotherapies in the country.