Mayela recently returned from “the best trip” of her life in the Dominican Republic, where she created lasting memories with her mom and dad before she started another school year.
“I’m happy,” said Mayela, 11, who is in sixth grade. “I have great parents who support me in all I do, and physically, I am doing really well.”
In 2018, Mayela was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, or AML. In AML, white blood cells, produced in bone marrow, are abnormal and do not become healthy cells. These abnormal cells crowd out the normal ones so that the patient’s body has a harder time fighting off infection.
It was heartbreaking news. I like to solve everything, but at that moment, it was not in my hands. I could not resolve this situation for my daughter.
Angel, Mayela's dad
Doctors in Puerto Rico referred Mayela to St. Jude where she underwent a bone marrow transplant in August 2018, with her dad serving as her donor. Her parents are thankful for the treatment and care she received.
“I was full of joy and emotion, and grateful for St. Jude,” Angel said about being his daughter’s donor.
St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. We won't stop until no child dies from cancer.
Mayela finished treatment and now visits St. Jude regularly for checkups. Meanwhile, at home, she keeps busy improving her swimming and her aim in air gun shooting, a sport she recently picked up.
Mayela has also become a small business owner. She makes colorful bracelets with hearts, faces and other shapes, and creates her own soaps with a variety of scents like lavender, oatmeal and honey.
“Everything that Mayela does reminds us how blessed we are,” her mother, Karen, said.
Meet more patients
-
Meet Samara
Samara was referred to St. Jude for treatment after being diagnosed with Wilms tumor. Samara was able to finish treatment well.
-
Meet Lizbeth
Lizbeth was referred to St. Jude for treatment after being diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare disorder of the immune system.
-
Meet Madeline
Madeline was referred to St. Jude for treatment after being diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a form of bone cancer.
-
Meet Kaleb
Kaleb was referred to St. Jude for treatment after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that causes easy bruising and bleeding.
-
Meet Hazel
Hazel was referred to St. Jude for treatment after a CT scan showed she had a brain tumor. It was diagnosed as medulloblastoma.
-
Meet Micah
Micah was referred to St. Jude for treatment after a brain tumor was discovered during an emergency room visit prompted by persistent headaches and nausea.
-
Meet Rylee
When Rylee was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, she was referred to St. Jude for treatment. She received chemotherapy and had surgery to remove the tumor. Amidst these challenges, the family found hope at St. Jude.
-
Meet Pablo Jose
Pablo Jose was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in 2021 at the age of 5 in his homeland of Guatemala. ALL is the most common type of childhood cancer.
-
Meet Alejandro
Ines and Alejandro think of their son Alejandro every day. Their active and curious boy would have been near adulthood by now. They honor his memory through their commitment to St. Jude. Read more here.
-
Meet Hayden
Hayden is back in Jamaica after eye cancer treatment, but he often asks his parents when they will go “home” to St. Jude where he received medical care.
-
Meet Valentina
When she was 3 years old, Valentina was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Doctors immediately referred Valentina to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® and her parents instantly felt their daughter was going to get the best treatment.
-
Meet Camila
Camila was diagnosed three days before her 3rd birthday with a solid cancerous tumor of the kidney. Read her story.
-
Meet Delta
Delta is a daddy's girl, and everybody knows it. But Delta and her daddy, Hayden, have often been separated while she has been receiving treatment at St. Jude for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, hours away from their home and his job.
-
Meet McClain
McClain was found to have cancer even before she was born, when an ultrasound at 36 weeks showed a mass on her adrenal gland. The diagnosis was neuroblastoma.
-
Meet Hunter
Hunter was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and was immediately referred to St. Jude. Hunter has chosen to face adversity with good humor and determination.