Mia Valentina’s mom treasures every moment after her daughter’s brain cancer treatment at St. Jude.

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My daughter Mia Valentina gives me new reasons every day to be proud of her. She fills my life, even in those moments when preadolescence makes her switch instantly from laughing to being moody. It is an adventure that sometimes tests me as a mom, but one that I deeply appreciate.

When Mia Valentina was only 5 years old in 2018, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor called anaplastic ependymoma. It was then that a very long and difficult journey began. Mia Valentina underwent surgery within a month after the diagnosis in Nicaragua where we live. However, there was no other treatment available at home. She was referred to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® in Memphis, Tennessee, where her treatment included proton beam radiotherapy. She was always happy in the hospital despite everything she had to go through. 

We returned home at the beginning of 2019, with medical check-ups every three months. A year after her first diagnosis, Mia Valentina relapsed, but the tumor was in a different location. The fight began again. This time it was more difficult because there was cell mutation.

Once again, St. Jude was our hope. She had surgery and proton beam radiotherapy again, with higher doses. Mia Valentina finished her treatment, and we returned to Nicaragua.  

I am deeply grateful to St. Jude staff and doctors, who, with their knowledge and immense caring, kept  faith, hope and — above all — smiles alive. Amid treatment, their dedication sustained us.

Today, six years have passed since Mía Valentina finished treatment. She is ready to move to the survivor clinic, St. Jude After Completion of Therapy Clinic. Meanwhile, she always is a dreamer and an example of resilience. 

With each passing year, I have seen Mia Valentina grow like any other girl. She graduated from elementary school with excellent grades. She was one of three students who escorted one of the two flags that accompany the national flag of Nicaragua during graduation. It was a special moment for me, my husband and her younger sisters. 

Secondary school has brought new challenges: different routines, moods that I'm still learning to decipher and new friendships. We have difficult conversations, and others full of laughter about life, adolescence and the ups and downs of friendships and crushes. 

I live every stage and every day with Mia Valentina full of gratitude. It’s a gratitude that never goes away because of St. Jude. 

St. Jude continues to be the place where hope and care are lived between patients and staff. It is a family that, despite the hardship and pain, remains by your side. It’s a place where magic persists, even through illness — a global family always ready to help each child keep their dreams filled with hope.