Abigail's Story
“When I found something in her leg, I was scared” remembers Abigail's mom, Perla, upon first seeing the mass in her little girl's thigh. “It was terrifying. It was a process of not knowing what was going to happen, what we were going to face.”
It was three days before Abigail's seventh birthday that her mother and father, Jose, rushed her to Valley Children's Emergency Department.
“I was very nervous and scared” said Abigail, as she was run through comprehensive testing.
At Valley Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Abigail received a series of imaging studies, including an ultrasound, MRI and PET/CT. Her tissue biopsy and genetic testing confirmed the devastating news they had feared: Abigail was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma in her left thigh, a rare childhood cancer of soft tissue.
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Blair's Story
Blair is creative and artistic, with a deep love for drawing, swimming and riding her bike. But for much of her childhood, everyday tasks often felt like a challenge. Born with a rare condition called Madelung’s deformity, Blair’s wrists curved outward, causing pain and limiting her movement.
Her condition affected her confidence and her independence so much that her mom and dad, Jessica and Brandon, knew they needed to get Blair help.
Madelung’s deformity is an extremely rare, progressive pediatric condition found in fewer than one in about 3,300 children. The condition can cause a complete dislocation in the wrists with the hands angled forward.
But Valley Children’s Pediatric Plastic Surgery team and Pediatric Hand Surgery Program Director Dr. Michael Galvez had a bold solution using cutting-edge technology.
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Diane's Story
When Diane entered the world, she weighed about as much as a can of soda: less than a pound. Born at just 22 weeks and 1 day gestation, she was so small that her tiny hand was the size of her dad’s fingertip. Her journey, and that of her parents, Rochelle and Curtis, was not easy. But Diane’s fight was joined by expert care, determined hearts and unwavering hope.
Just months before learning they were pregnant with Diane, Rochelle and Curtis had endured the heartbreaking loss of their stillborn son, Quinn. This and a previous pregnancy loss weighed heavily on them throughout Rochelle’s time carrying Diane.
At 14 weeks, doctors discovered that Rochelle’s cervix was opening prematurely. An emergency cerclage, a procedure to stitch the cervix closed, was performed just in time. For weeks, Rochelle continued to live life cautiously, making frequent emergency department visits as complications arose. Despite taking all precautions, Rochelle went into early labor, and on Aug. 15, Diane was born by emergency Caesarean section.
“I truly believe that losing Quinn brought me Diane, and while it is difficult to lose a child, I didn’t want it to affect our fight for Diane’s survival,” shared Rochelle. “Even being so little, Diane was strong. Looking at her, I knew we had a fighter, and we were going to fight right by her side every step of the way.”
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Jasmine's Story
Like so many newly expectant parents, Jasmine and her husband were filled with equal parts surprise and joy when they learned Jasmine was pregnant. “She just laid out a whole bunch of pregnancy tests and all of them were positive,” her husband, Zechariah, recalls. “I was just overwhelmed with happiness.”
But that feeling of optimism was short-lived.
“My pregnancy journey started off full of love and excitement, but it turned into anxiety and fear when we found out about Leonardo’s diagnosis,” she said.
Their baby, Leonardo, had been diagnosed with gastroschisis, a rare and serious condition where a baby’s intestines extend outside the body through a hole near the belly button.
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Sylus's Story
Before he was even born, Sylus was already fighting the odds. Today, he stands as a powerful symbol of strength and hope — having proudly served as the 2025 Children’s Miracle Network Local Champion. Children’s Miracle Network raises critical funds and helps provide millions of pediatric treatments each year through partner hospitals like Valley Children’s, ensuring children across our community receive the care they need.
Sylus’ mom, Sarah, knew early on that Sylus would face challenges. She was told 18 weeks into her pregnancy that her baby had myelomeningocele, a severe form of spina bifida, a congenital birth defect involving problems with the spine, spinal cord and surrounding nerves. In Sylus’ case, it meant that part of his spinal cord and nerves formed outside of his body in a fluid-filled sac — a condition that also caused the fluid in his head to build up and expand his skull bones, a condition called hydrocephalus.
This diagnosis brought uncertainty and fear, but from the moment Sylus and his family arrived at Valley Children’s Hospital, they were never alone. Immediately admitted to the NICU upon birth, he underwent surgery led by Pediatric Neurosurgeon Dr. Patricia Clerkin to close the opening in his spine and relieve the pressure on his brain.
“Valley Children’s physicians and staff were amazing,” Sarah said. “You have to be a special kind of person to work in that environment, and nobody ever made me feel alone. Every doctor, nurse and staff member was amazing. You don’t realize the impact these people have on your life until you’re in it.”
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