With September being Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, meet 9-year-old Juan Pablo. When he and his family were still living in Venezuela, Juan Pablo began complaining of stomach pains. After being taken to the hospital, he was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma, an aggressive type of cancer that usually requires most of the treatments in an oncologist’s arsenal: chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy.
Without the proper resources to treat his rapidly degenerating condition, his doctors in Venezuela referred him to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami. With the help of the hospital’s Global Health department, young Juan Pablo soon found himself under the care of Dr. Guillermo De Angulo and the hematology/oncology team at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
Leaving their home, their friends and their country was a difficult decision for Juan Pablo, his twin brother and his mother. Was it worth it? Watch the latest in a continuing series of videos that I’ve been producing for Miami Children’s Health Foundation, who help raise funds and awareness for Nicklaus Children’s Hospital – this is Juan Pablo’s remarkable story…
To help support children like Juan Pablo, please visit www.mchf.org/donate
