Right now, hundreds of young children are fighting for their lives here at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Many will still be undergoing treatment throughout the holidays and into the New Year. As members of the CHOP employee family, we each do our best to bring joy to these patients during this time of year regardless of our roles here. Because we know that while healthy children can’t wait to celebrate the holiday season with their families, there are patients – like Desi – who can’t wait for a breakthrough.
Desi’s Story
Last October, when 2 year-old Desi couldn’t shake a low-grade fever, neither his pediatrician nor doctors at the local hospital could pinpoint what was wrong.
That’s when his family turned to CHOP…
When Desi and his family received a life-changing diagnosis, their world turned upside down in an instant: he had leukemia. He went on to spend a week in the hospital – the first of nearly 10 overnight stays. And one of those days was even his 3rd birthday.
His care team at CHOP told his family that Desi’s battle with cancer would be long and hard fought. It would impact the entire family. But his doctor’s gave them hope that this battle was winnable. “We went into full survival mode,” says Desi’s mom. “Nothing else mattered.”
Despite a few setbacks, Desi has been in remission since early February, and as of this past summer he reached the halfway point for the fourth of five phases of treatment. Thanks to staff like you, breakthroughs like Desi’s are possible for the children in our care. And today, you can take your support one step further by ensuring that CHOP has the resources to offer hope for everyone who walks through our doors this holiday season.
Barring any relapse during the two-and-a-half-year maintenance phase, Desi is expected to complete treatment by spring 2022. And his parents couldn’t be more grateful for the care he received at CHOP. “We are getting the best care in the world – I owe them so much from day one,” Desi’s mom says of his CHOP care team.
Help sustain our breakthrough work
There will be more children like Desi who will turn to CHOP for answers. Your special gift this season gift will help us deliver breakthroughs for these patients and families throughout the holidays. Please give today.