30 DAYS/30 STORIES® 2021
Rafael
September 28th
Rafael’s Story
December 23, 2012, I took Rafael to the ER for a cold, and x-rays of his chest were taken to check for pneumonia. During the x-ray, doctors found a mass. Rafael was scheduled for surgery just two days after Christmas and was later diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. Rafael was just 10 months old at that time. During that time, I had no idea what to think. Truly I thought my son wouldn’t make it. Three surgeries, a bunch of hospital stays and many chemo treatments later, Rafael’s scans were clear, and treatment ended. During that time, we were introduced to PCFLV. They helped us with many things including Christmas gifts, supplies for our hospital stays, days out for the family and anything else they could to make us feel a little bit “normal” in such a horrible situation. Rafael is now 9 years old, entering 4th grade! PCFLV STILL sends him a birthday gift each year. We are forever grateful for this organization and for all the families we were introduced to that became our friends.
Written by Rafael’s mom, Natasha
Please consider donating in Rafael’s honor to support PCFLV's mission.
Please also consider helping local kids with cancer by donating blood at Miller-Keystone Blood Center: