Two-year-old Effy’s mom and dad were helping her put on her pajamas before bed when they noticed a lump on her side.
“We went to the doctor who did blood work,” recalls Effy’s mom, Jennifer. “We then got a call from Packard Children’s that they wanted to see us. We felt confusion, denial, and fear as we drove to Palo Alto, unprepared for what was about to happen. We sat in an exam room while the doctors told us that our 2-year-old had leukemia.”
In this moment of devastation, Effy’s family first felt your support. Jake, a child life specialist, came in the room and blew bubbles with Effy and her younger brother, Harry, while Jennifer and her husband James began to process what was happening and waded through the hospital admission process.
“I remember looking at her, while I was filled with fear, dread, and confusion and she was blowing bubbles,” says Jennifer.
Over the next three-and-a-half years, Effy received cancer treatment at our hospital, made possible by other children and families who came before her who participated in studies and research. “We were asked on day one whether we would be willing to participate in the studies at Packard Children’s, and without hesitation, my husband and I said yes.”
Effy bravely fought her cancer, enduring countless rounds of chemotherapy.
Today she is a thriving 5-year-old who started kindergarten and is crazy about monkeys. Her family is immensely grateful to the support of the community who rallied behind Effy and who continue to fund research to improve the lives of children diagnosed with cancer.
“That research and those studies would not be funded if it wasn’t for the generosity of Packard Children’s donors,” says Jennifer. “It would not be possible without you. Your philanthropy has made it possible for Effy to receive the best possible care and more than once we have heard from someone, ‘you’re so lucky to be getting treatment at Packard Children’s’. We couldn’t agree more.”
Effy is #WhyWeScamper.
Register to Scamper and support care, comfort, and cure for more kids like Effy.
