Valeria and her parents winter in El Salvador, and that’s where they were end of January last year when she began complaining that her leg hurt. When the pain persisted, they visited a doctor who did an ultrasound that found some swelling in her knee. She did some physio and in March, after a fall, she went to see a different pediatrician. During the exam, the doctor found she a lump in her leg and sent her for an x-ray. The scan revealed not only did she fracture her leg from the fall, but there was a tumour in her femur.
Valeria had to be admitted to the local children’s hospital there for a biopsy and had to wait two weeks for the result. During their agonizing wait, in a rundown hospital with small, crowded rooms, Christina couldn’t help worrying it was cancer but thought if the results did come back that way, she and Valeria would be on the next flight home. The diagnosis came back: osteosarcoma and the doctors there suggested amputation. Instead, they requested to be discharged, and in the car en route back to her family’s home, Christina booked flights to Calgary. Her daughter was in so much pain, she made sure to book a first class seat to make her more comfortable.
They were admitted to the Alberta Children’s Hospital, where Valeria met with her oncology team and started her on chemotherapy. The chemo was rough on her body and made her lose her hair. Her team said the next course of action would be surgery and told her the options. She could have her leg amputated, a metal rod put in place of her femur, or, a rotationplasty, in which the bottom of the femur, the knee, and the upper tibia are surgically removed. The lower leg is then rotated 180 degrees and then attached to the femur. Christina appreciated how Valeria was part of the decision process, made easier with videos and information from her team to help prepare her. Together they chose the rotationplasty option and in June, she went into the OR, with a big smile on her face. As Valeria told her mom, “I was happy because I would finally be able to get rid of the tumour and would be closer to be walking again.” While Plastic Surgeons Dr. Harrop and Dr. Cawthorne along with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kendall performed the surgery, the family were grateful to be able to wait in the quiet and comfort of the Colonel Sanders Family Room at the hospital. Valeria is in the process of being fitted for a prosthetic and is looking forward to walking and doing gymnastics again! She continues to be followed by her team of specialists.
Christina doesn’t have enough words to express her gratitude for everyone at the hospital who was part of her daughter’s care team, for how they treated her like a celebrity and supported the whole family. Valeria can show you how long her Beads of Courage is, a representation of her inspiring journey.
