In February 2025, Francesca and her family’s life turned upside down. One moment, they were enjoying time in Ecuador; the next, they were thrust into a journey they never could have imagined.
“We never saw it coming, not really,” said Irma, Francesca’s mother. “She was her usual, energetic self—never tired, never feverish, or weak. We’d see a few bruises on her legs and back, but we just assumed they were from playing with her sister or a little tumble.”
It was when Francesca’s sister came down with the flu, and Francesca, not wanting to be left out, insisted on tagging along to the pediatrician. While they were there, her father’s curiosity got the better of him. He casually asked the doctor about the bruises that didn’t seem to fade. To be safe, the doctor ordered a blood test to check her clotting.
The results would lead them to a hematologist, where they would receive the most difficult news as parents: four-year-old Francesca had acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The family immediately flew back home to be admitted to the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center. From the moment they arrived, Irma describes there being a glimmer of hope cutting through the darkness. Fancesca was admitted immediately, and within a whirlwind of doctors and tests, her treatment began right away.
“Throughout it all, she just keeps being Francesca,” said Irma. “She plays, she paints, she dances and imitates her favorite princesses. But most importantly, she never stops smiling. She spreads so much love to everyone she meets, even on the hardest days.”
This is a long road, and the family knows there is still a journey ahead. But one day, they will look back on this time and see it as a chapter their daughter faced with unwavering courage.
“As parents, the fear is always there, lingering in the background,” said Irma. “But we’ve been surrounded by the most incredible doctors, nurses and hospital staff who have held our hands through every high and low—every hospital stay, every transfusion, every tear. We want to thank them, and Tackle Kids Cancer, for their support during these difficult times and for reminding us that we are not alone.”