Makeila

Navigating the challenging journey of recurrent ependymoma, Makeila's diagnosis was first in 2009 and has now recurred. Makeila's mother, Lourdes, finds solace in the care and treatment provided by the dedicated team at Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Centers, who are doing everything possible to support Makeila's fight against this merciless disease.

My name is Lourdes and I am a single mother of a beautiful daughter—Makeila. Makeila is my world, and I would, and will always do everything I can for her; her safety, care, and health are my number one priority and I will always fight for her. We live in Massachusetts.

If I could take my daughter’s pain and hardship I would in a heartbeat, and that became all to real when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2009. It has been a long fight, and the cancer recurred in 2021—recurrent ependymoma, a cancer that attacks the nervous system. She has had surgery and thought that the cancer had begun to remiss; we were wrong. It has recurred as a brain tumor; she is under much care and treatment and has never stopped fighting.

This has been a long and hard road, with many praises of remission and many devastating days when finding out that this monstrous disease has returned. But I will never stop fighting for my daughter; I am so so so proud of how strong she has been. She is 17 now and is the most resilient young woman I know.

Makeila has two younger siblings and this cancer has been hard on them too. They hate seeing their older sister have to go through one of the hardest things anyone can face, especially a young girl, now a young woman. Her resilience has always inspired them.

We have had a hard time paying our bills recently since I cannot work as much between caring for my two youngest and being there at as many times as possible for Makeila. We are a strong family and Makeila and my daughters are worth every penny I have; we need help, help that will continue to allow us to fight this cancer and not stop until it is gone once and for all.

The ACCBF was able to come to Lourdes’s family’s aid. Because of your support, the ACCBF has been able to pay this beautiful family’s electric bill. Because of your support, this family can keep fighting the fight they have fought since 2009.

No one is ready for cancer when it rears its ugly head, but Makeila and her family know that there are people who are behind her and her family to make sure she can keep fighting. You make sure mothers like Lourdes know their bills will be taken care of. You make sure that sisters like Makeila’s know that people are helping their older sister. You make sure that girls like Makeila know that there are people being the hands and feet of Jesus.