anaiya garcia
Osteosarcoma
Patient
On November 3, 2020 Anaiya was riding her scooter with her little 6 year old brother during the evening time, when she fell off her scooter and hit the side of her leg on the bar. No scrapes or bruises, no skin was broken but the fall prevented her from walking and created a lot of swelling through the night. The next morning we decided to take her to San Antonio Regional Hospital in Upland. We were transferred to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital ER Department when they found a mass in the xrays. We waited hours, got transferred to the oncology unit, and that’s when we found out that she had osteosarcoma. Her leg never looked different in size, nor did she ever really complain about pain. When I noticed her limping I would ask what’s wrong with her leg, and she would always say nothing. But it was something, it was the cancerous tumor growing on her femur.
She was diagnosed as having Osteosarcoma, phase 1, localize meaning that it was in one spot but it was high-grade meaning that it was a fast growing tumor. Her chemotherapy started on November 11and on February 16, 2021 she had her tumor successfully removed completely intact with the entire femur bone intact. The journey wasn’t over, she went back and started chemotherapy about two weeks after her surgery.
Her tumor was 15 cm (6 inches) in length and she was given a new femur bone made with cadaver bone, along with a magnetic rod in her leg to support it and grow with her. Since being diagnosed she has never once complained or asked why her for I’m sure God has his reasoning for choosing her. She is one of the strongest people I have ever known and given birth too, for she has had a smile on her face the entire time.
As a mother with a child fighting cancer, I knew her hair would fall out and that I would shave my head, so I went bald before she did to make her feel as comfortable as possible, and I reminded her each day she was beautiful with her bald head. I wanted her to know that bald was beautiful too and hair does not define who you are. It took Anaiya a little while before she was comfortable being seen bald, but now she embraces it and says if someone asks why I am bald, I will tell them why along with showing them my huge scar that goes down my leg. Now with all the knowledge she has gained since being diagnosed, she wants to give back to the oncology department when gets olde. She has also joined a girls scouts troop made up of cancer survivors, warriors and siblings to the angels. This is Anaiya Marie Garcia’s journey of childhood cancer as a warrior and soon to be survivor.
– Jessica Garcia, Mother
