School had ended last June. Nine-year-old Jessenia Muro was going to meet her new cousin, who was just born. But as Jessenia was getting into her aunt’s car, she turned pale and began gasping for air. Something was very wrong.
Patricia Rodriguez, Jessenia’s mom, called 911 and an ambulance took Jessenia to the emergency room at Adventist Health Lodi Memorial Hospital. They ran tests and determined that Jessenia needed to be transferred to UC Davis Children’s Hospital for more specialized pediatric care.
UC Davis physicians ordered blood work and tests and then Rodriguez received the news that no mother wants to hear: Jessenia had acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).
