'Hang in there Juju' - CD 10m & 1d EOT

Saturday, November 16th - 7pm

Count Down - 10 months & 1 day until End Of Treatment

Hello family, this past month has been filled with adventures, learning, celebrations, and, of course, another setback in Julia’s journey. Overall, Juju has been doing well for most of the month, but earlier this week, I noticed she seemed more tired than usual—taking extra naps, yawning frequently, even though she’s been getting 10 to 12 hours of sleep at night. She also had a decreased appetite, a higher heart rate, and didn’t want to go anywhere; she just wanted to stay home. This is definitely not like her!

Well, yesterday, Friday the 15th, was her monthly clinic day. Julia started Cycle 3 of Maintenance treatment, which included a scheduled lumbar chemo under sedation, an IV chemo infusion, and a prophylactic infusion. However, right after the lumbar procedure, her heart rate remained elevated and wouldn’t come down. They quickly ordered an EKG, and within seconds, we were relieved to find that her heart rhythm was normal—thank God!

A few hours later, while still in the clinic for observation, she spiked a fever very quickly. They ran blood cultures and a respiratory panel, gave her more IV hydration, and started her on IV antibiotics to cover a broad range of potential issues.

Julia was sent home with her port connected and went back to the ER earlier today to get a second round of antibiotics through her port. She had a second fever last night and has been fever free since.  We heard from her oncologist while at the ER, her respiratory panel came back positive for ADENOVIRUS. Adenoviruses are a group of viruses that typically cause respiratory illnesses, such as a common cold, conjunctivitis (an infection in the eye that is sometimes called pink eye), croup, bronchitis, or pneumonia. In children, adenoviruses usually cause infections in the respiratory tract and intestinal tract. Blood cultures are clear, and we are grateful she is not dealing with a bacterial infection.

Please join us in praying for Julia—asking God to strengthen her immune system, to bring her to complete healing, and help us stay diligent in avoiding germs, which feels nearly impossible at times. Masking more often as much as we don’t want to, it is a necessary practice. Our next clinic day is until December 16th.

I am so thankful that God deals gently with me, surrounding me with His endless love and reminding me to trust in Him. I remind myself daily of what I know to be true: God is good, He is with us, He sees us, He cares, and His love is beyond measure. He has moved mountains before and will continue to do so, we have endless stories of miracles, prayers answered and unexplainable peace in difficult hours.

Thank you, dear family, for your support. You inspire me to keep going with trust, faith, and hope. Without God, this journey would feel hopeless, but because of Christ, we rise above, moving forward with joy—He is with all of us! Wishing you a blessed and joyful Thanksgiving. I’m deeply thankful for each of you, our praying family.

One big win and praise report that deserves a spotlight amid this crazy rollercoaster: Jeremy (dad) was originally set to start his first Electrical Engineering job in Plano, Texas, and we planned to relocate. Juju and I were going to travel back and forth, as we still have our home in California and two young adults living with us. However, after Julia’s diagnosis, Jeremy made the decision to decline the job and stay here with us.

Fast forward to last week, on 11/11, Jeremy started his first full-time job as an Engineer II at a great company right here in California. He’s been interning since May, and although the internship was supposed to end in the summer, they extended his internship and offered him a permanent position contingent on finishing his master’s program— which he completed the first week of November online via ASU! This is a huge accomplishment, answered prayer and a blessing for our family.

Congratulations, Jeremy, and thank you for your dedication and hard work! Even through the tough moments when I didn’t always agree with your educational choices or timing, you did it! To God be all the glory—we are so proud of you, Ingeniero!

"For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation."

Psalm 100:5

Our hope is in the Lord!

Enjoy this short video of Julia’s adventures this last 30 days! Zoo, Museum, Tea party, sissy & daddy birthdays, and much more.

Clinic Day & ER 11/15 - 16th