During the fall of 2017, Tina became nauseous and started to throw up almost daily. Her parents, Vicente and Marina, took her to the pediatrician, who determined that Tina had a virus.
St. Jude patient Tina with her dad
But 10 days later, Tina was still sick. “We went to the hospital,” Vicente said. “Within 40 minutes, they told us Tina had a brain tumor.” A biopsy revealed the tumor was a type of brain cancer called medulloblastoma.
“When we learned Tina had cancer, it was the worst news we’ve ever received,” Vicente said. “You never think something like this could happen to you.”
St. Jude patient Tina with her mom
Tina’s family arrived at St. Jude in January 2018. Her treatment included 30 sessions of proton therapy and four months of chemotherapy. Her family is thankful for the care she’s received – and how much St. Jude provided for their family. “St. Jude took the financial worry away,” said Vicente. “St. Jude allows families like ours to have our child treated with the best team behind us.”
Tina is now finished with treatment and returns for regular scans. She is an honor student who loves to play tennis and spend time watching videos or playing cards with her sister.
St. Jude kept our family together ... it's a little piece of heaven on earth.
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