Courage rings a bell for Fernando

For many people the sound of a bell ringing can mean many things: dinner time, the morning alarm clock, the opening of a new day on the stock market. For Fernando, that sound will signify his final chemotherapy treatment and his triumph over cancer. Each time he visits Valley Children’s for treatment, Fernando keeps an eye on the “No ‘Mo Chemo” bell that waits for him down the hall. He knows he’ll ring that bell someday, and when he rings it, he wants his mom and dad to help.

At the age of four, Fernando was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.  The treatment was tough for Fernando, who experienced complications including nerve damage to his legs. Through it all, Fernando has shown courage and strength, inspiring his parents and his doctors. When Fernando grows up, his dream is to become an oncologist, so he can help other kids with cancer…just like him.
 

Learn about how Valley Children’s helps kids like Fernando fight cancer

Learn more about Valley Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders team, which helps hundreds of children like Fernando fight cancer every day. Our dedicated team of board-certified pediatric oncologists and hematologists identify and care for about 150 newly diagnosed cancer patients a year, and treat the wide range of pediatric cancers, from leukemia to adrenocrotical tumors to aplastic anemia and beyond. We’re at the forefront of treatment protocols and clinical trials, and we won’t stop because every child should get to ring that bell.