The spring afternoon was supposed to be a special memory for Jennifer and her family. It was school picture day for her son Gabriel, then a pre-kindergarten student.
That date – March 21, 2023 – is now seared into Jennifer’s memory for another reason: it’s the day Gabriel was diagnosed with leukemia.
Gabriel had been experiencing stomach pain for months. X-rays didn’t reveal a diagnosis, and medication wasn’t working either. Jennifer continued to advocate for her son, ultimately finding a doctor who ordered bloodwork and an ultrasound – scheduled for picture day. Within just a few hours of those tests, doctors called Jennifer and said her son needed to get to the emergency room immediately for further evaluation. “I knew something was wrong when the ER doctors said, ‘Do you want to wait for somebody to come before we talk?’”
That’s when she received the diagnosis no parent wants to hear. Gabriel didn’t leave the hospital for 10 days. He turned five-years-old in the hospital. “For his birthday,” Jennifer said, “he got a PICC line.”
To care for Gabriel, Jennifer left her two jobs – full-time work as a high school registrar and part-time work as a receptionist and billing agent a children’s rehabilitation facility. Around the same time, her husband lost his job in construction – and got stiffed on his last two paychecks.
“We had rough times,” Jennifer said. “We weren’t even living paycheck to paycheck. I didn’t know how we were going to feed these kids.”
“Our family did fundraisers for us,” Jennifer said, “but family can only help so much.”
Jennifer spent countless hours seeking resources and contacting organizations that Gabriel’s social worker recommended. “It was like waiting for rain in the desert,” Jennifer said.
The $600 in support from Blood Cancer United helped her family afford food and pay for utilities and other bills when money was tight.
Jennifer said, Gabriel is doing well. He missed the entirety of what would have been his kindergarten year.
Gabriel started second grade this year and is enjoying school. He is obsessed with soccer and wants to be a soccer player when he grows up. He is very active and loves spending as much time as possible outdoors. “He’s getting back to his old self,” Jennifer says. The highlight of their summer was a family trip to the beach in Port Aransas, Texas.
Jennifer continues to work at her job at the children’s rehabilitation facility. As Gabriel’s health has improved, she’s been able to pick up more hours. She remains extremely grateful for the help they got at a time when they had few other options.
Gabriel still hasn’t forgotten what he went through – even though Jennifer often wishes he would. He occasionally reminds her about how much he hated losing his hair and enduring frequent blood draws. “He still remembers a lot,” Jennifer says.
“I’ll forever be grateful to Blood Cancer United and other organizations that helped us,” she said.
Jennifer
Mother and caregiver
