Within the Ronald McDonald House New York (RMH-NY) walls, families that face intense and daunting challenges surrounding pediatric cancer and other life-threatening illnesses find hope and a sense of community unlike any other. Heather (Mom) and Zea’s (9 years-old) lives were forever changed by Zea’s diagnosis. The family came to NYC seeking alternative treatment to chemotherapy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center while they found refuge and support and unlocked their family’s incredible resilience staying at Ronald McDonald House New York.
The journey began when Zea was only three months old. The family received the cancer diagnosis that rocked their world to its core. Zea was Heather’s sweet little infant girl, and it was unimaginable to believe that only three months into this precious little life, she would be struck with this unthinkable diagnosis.
The doctors found an aggressive form of Neuroblastoma cancer already squarely in stage four and little Zea was admitted into immediate surgery on her spine to take out the primary tumor in her body. After surgery, Zea was left paralyzed from the chest down and her doctors feared she would never find the ability to walk.
Two days later, Zea started chemotherapy.
After eight rounds of chemotherapy, a one-year-old Zea barely holding on to life after each round, her doctors ordered four more. Opting to not put her little girl through the pain and the possible side effects of ongoing chemotherapy, Heather and Zea, with big sister, Kaia, traveled to NYC and meet with doctors at NYC’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK Kids) to gather a second opinion.
“When we first learned that Zea needed treatment in NYC, it was overwhelming,” recalls Heather. “But coming to Ronald McDonald House New York was like coming home to a whole new family.” The supportive community at RMH-NY provided them with the strength and solidarity they needed to navigate the uncertain road ahead.
Doctors at MSK Kids put Zea on a ‘watch and wait’ plan. No more chemotherapy was needed. Doctors told Heather that sometimes neuroblastoma cells can resolve on their own and go away. After chemotherapy, that is exactly what they did.
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