17-year-old Julian relapsed from Ewing’s Sarcoma in early 2020. The cancer had come back stronger than before, and the family was devastated. Doctors found cancer in his hips, lungs, ribs, and in his bone marrow. Julian needed to undergo 9 months of intensive chemotherapy treatments.
Julian was determined to not allow his diagnosis to define him. He continued his involvement at school and took on several leadership positions. When he was not at school or studying, he was speaking to church youth groups or local community groups about his battle with cancer, in hopes of inspiring others to not lose hope amidst adversity.
Since his diagnosis, his family began to see their debt accumulate. Mom needed to purchase gas more often for the constant commute to the hospital for Julian’s treatments. The family bought meals more often because Dad was working and Mom was busy taking care of Julian, so there was no time to cook. When Mom couldn’t get back in time to pick up their daughter from school, they either had to pay for childcare or Dad had to leave work early, which meant fewer work hours and less money.
The family struggled to make ends meet, but they were determined to do what was needed to help Julian get through his battle no matter the odds that stood in the way. Miracles for Kids stepped in to provide the family with monthly financial assistance through the Bill Pay Program. Miracles for Kids also delivered boxes of food, basic necessities, and more throughout the year, so Julian and his family would have the essentials they needed to survive.
Despite the physical and emotional challenges, Julian graduated high school with a 3.9 GPA, and Mom shared the wonderful news of Julian’s UCI acceptance. He finished treatment in June 2021 and is now in remission. It has been a difficult journey for him and his family, but they are so excited for Julian’s future as he studies political science, law, and criminology to someday become a lawyer.
Miracles for Kids provides monthly financial assistance, subsidized housing, mental health services, and wellness activities to families with a critically-ill child. The services help create stability when families are crumbling from the financial and emotional devastation of fighting for their child’s life. Founded in 2002, Miracles for Kids has a main office in Irvine, CA and a subsidized housing complex, Miracle Manor, in Orange, CA.
To learn more about how Miracles for Kids has joined forces with parents and loved ones, visit www.miraclesforkids.org.
To donate, visit www.miraclesforkids.org/donate.