Mia is shy at first but opens up quickly. She loves animals, swimming, and family time. She laughs most when someone does something silly or she makes jokes. She loves to draw, and paint, and her new hobby is sewing.
Mia was diagnosed with Leukemia on New Year’s Day in 2021. In the time leading up to her diagnosis, she had a few small nosebleeds and we noticed large bruises with no apparent cause. The final nosebleed was difficult to stop and she was as white as a ghost. That is what sent us to the emergency room.
Mia has been through respiratory treatments, physical therapy, and counseling for anxiety and the effects of treatment. She also often has pain in her ankles as a side effect of chemo. I had to stop working to be able to tend to her needs and medical appointments. We are now a one-income household.
Mia has poor endurance and requires rest periods. We can’t go places as we used to. She can’t go to the beach and we can no longer explore the parks or hike because she can’t tolerate the heat and the exercise. The amount of time spent in the hospital has taken attention away from our other two children, disrupting their childhood.
Mia has always given back to others since being sick. She collected over $1,000 in art supplies to donate to her local hospital. For childhood cancer awareness month she sold yard signs to help raise awareness for pediatric cancer.
Hope Session by Monica Roberts Photography | Facebook | Instagram