Bryan, now 15 years old, is in 10th grade, and while he's always been a bit reserved and shy, he’s full of interests like drawing, trains, building with Legos, and recently, cooking. His younger sister, Katelynn, 13, is his opposite in many ways—outgoing, bubbly, and creative. She loves baking cakes and making clothes for her dolls, often shining in the spotlight.

Bryan and Katelynn’s mom, Marta and dad, Jose, are a loving couple who always dreamed of starting a family young. After a difficult pregnancy and an early arrival, Bryan was born at just 32 weeks, weighing only three pounds and fifteen ounces. "He was so tiny, so fragile," Marta recalls. "It was hard to see him in the NICU with all those tubes, but we were just so grateful he was alive." Bryan came home after three weeks, and despite being born premature, he was a healthy, happy boy—until suddenly, he was not.

In early 2022, Bryan fell on black ice and hurt his back while rushing to catch the bus. A bruise formed, but when Marta took him to the doctor, she was assured everything was fine. However, Bryan started experiencing more symptoms—nosebleeds, dry lips, fatigue, and increasing back pain. Despite these signs, doctors initially dismissed them as winter dryness and minor injuries. It wasn’t until a follow-up visit in March that Bryan’s pediatrician ran blood tests, leading to a devastating discovery: Bryan had leukemia.

“When the doctor told me, my mind just went black. I don’t remember what happened after that,” Marta says. "I called my husband, and he rushed to the hospital. Our world just collapsed." Bryan was admitted to the hospital immediately for intensive treatment. The first 32 days were a blur of steroid treatment, chemotherapy, lumbar punctures, and medical procedures. "Every day felt like a countdown," Marta remembers. "28 days left, 27 days left."

However, it wasn’t just Bryan who was affected by the cancer diagnosis. Katelynn was suddenly thrust into a world of fear and uncertainty, and without close family living nearby, Katelynn stayed with her parents most of the time, sleeping on the hospital floor and missing school to be with them as they faced this difficult journey together. The emotional toll was just as heavy for Marta and Jose, navigating the complexities of medical jargon in their second language, struggling to understand what was happening to their son. Even with translators, the stress and confusion were overwhelming. "There were times when I didn’t understand what the doctors were saying, and I just had to trust them. But it’s so hard when it’s your child, and you feel so powerless," Marta shared.

As the months passed, Bryan’s body endured the harsh side effects of treatment. The steroids caused severe bone loss, leading to compression fractures in his spine. Even after being declared cancer-free in October 2022, Bryan had to finish the chemotherapy protocol to lessen the likelihood of relapse. His body, already fragile from months of treatment, struggled.

"It felt like we were always in and out of the hospital. One day at home, two days in the hospital, then back again," Marta explains. "It’s exhausting—physically, mentally, emotionally—for the whole family."

The hardest part of Bryan's cancer journey came in the spring of 2023: Bryan was hospitalized again after developing clots in his lungs, pancreatitis, and heart dysfunction due to complications with his catheter. Just one day after being discharged from that hospital stay, he suddenly collapsed and stopped breathing. Jose and Marta feared the worst, but paramedics were able to revive him. Back at the hospital, he experienced a severe seizure, and doctors feared he would have a heart attack. After another seizure, Bryan’s heart rate spiked dangerously, and he was intubated. His condition deteriorated so much that his parents again thought they were losing him. Doctors discovered Bryan had developed neurotoxicity from the chemotherapy treatment, and his body struggled to clear the toxins. Bryan’s health waned in the ICU - he was reliant on oxygen and intubated for over a week, developed a severe lung infection and 106-degree fever… then miraculously, his lungs cleared and his body began to rid itself of the toxins, and his health slowly improved. Bryan completed treatment in June 2023, with the worst behind him.

Through all of this, Lucy’s Love Bus has been a vital source of support for Marta, Jose, Bryan, and Katelynn. Thanks to donors like you, Bryan and Katelynn are able to participate in music lessons, offering them moments of joy amidst the chaos. "The music therapy makes a world of difference for Bryan and Katelynn," Marta says. "They’re able to channel their energy into something positive, and it gives them a sense of control when everything else feels uncertain."

For Marta and Jose, the Group Programs provided by Lucy’s Love Bus have been equally crucial. With so much of their time and energy devoted to Bryan’s medical care, these moments of togetherness with their family, and with parents who have gone through similar journeys, provide relief, and allow them to recharge and care for their mental and emotional health. "We feel less alone knowing that Lucy’s Love Bus is there for us," Marta says. "They’ve helped us stay strong as a family."

The support from Lucy’s Love Bus has given the family hope and strength to face the challenges ahead. "Cancer doesn't care whether you can work or not—the bills keep coming, and insurance doesn't cover everything. The financial burden after cancer is huge, and it's hard in every way, not just economically. Lucy's Love Bus has helped us stop thinking about hospitals and sickness, giving us something else to focus on. It’s been amazing, supporting us through tough times and being there for our kids when they needed it most. Knowing that we have people like those at Lucy’s Love Bus behind us, it makes the impossible seem a little more possible," Marta reflects.

As for Bryan, he remains the quiet, resilient boy he’s always been. He still loves trains and building with Legos, but now his bravery has become a defining part of who he is. "Bryan never complains," Marta says, her voice filled with emotion. "He just keeps going. And if he can keep going, so can we."

Thank you for your generous gifts which deliver joy and comfort to deserving children like Bryan and Katelynn, and their parents, Marta and Jose!