Seeds of Hope is so much more than a school or community center. Over the years, it’s become like a big family. While our network is always growing, we also want it to be a place where people are seen, remembered, and cared for. We want to make sure no one feels alone, whether they’re in the highs or lows of life.
Julia’s story is an incredible example of that.
Julia came to the Seeds of Hope daycare in 2019 when she was only 2.5 months old. Lora, the Seeds of Hope daycare principal, immediately bonded with her—like she does every student.
Just after Julia turned one, her parents started noticing some strange symptoms. They took her to the doctor and discovered Julia had a rare type of leukemia that had already spread to 21% of her cells.
In addition to the expected fear of having a child with cancer, this was also at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, so Julia’s parents were completely overwhelmed. They were juggling traveling back and forth to hospitals, being separated and quarantined at times, and trying to get Julia the treatment she needed.
When the Seeds of Hope staff found out about Julia, they immediately spread the word throughout our network to pray. Seeds of Hope staff and parents surrounded their family with encouragement and support. In fact, in some of the most challenging times of Julia’s treatment, her mother said she would only take calls from Seeds of Hope friends because she knew they would give her hope and encouragement.
After exhausting their other options, Julia’s parents decided to try a bone marrow transplant from Julia’s father. He was only a 50% match, but doctors agreed this was their best option for treating such a rare case.
After the transplant, Julia took a turn for the worse. The doctors were out of treatment options. All they could do was wait and see if Julia’s body would be strong enough to overcome the cancer. Miraculously, Julia’s cancer levels went from 21% to 7% to eventually 0%. Julia was cancer free!
Because of her weakened immune system, Julia had to be isolated for over six months after her transplant. Almost a year later, doctors cleared her to return to school. Our team was so excited to have her back that we turned the whole event into a party! Lora was there to welcome her back, along with all our staff that had supported her family through this journey.
See some of Julia’s fun return to Seeds of Hope along with a special song the team played to highlight all that she has overcome:
Julia’s story is a miracle, and we know not all our hardships end up with such happy endings. But through all the highs and lows of life, we want to be a consistent source of hope for the people in our community. We want to be a light in the darkness that reminds people that they are not alone. And as a part of the Seeds of Hope family, thank you for being that as well.
