Tri-Cities baby diagnosed with rare cancer is ‘tiny but mighty’

Baby Lucia is tiny but mighty, says her mother Florita Sanchez of Pasco.

At four months old she’s just finished her third round of chemotherapy at Seattle Children’s Hospital for a rare childhood liver cancer, hepatoblastoma.

Surgery and more chemotherapy is planned.

“Our days now revolve around hospital rooms, scans, treatment plans, and learning how to be strong in ways we never imagined — all while caring for a baby who should only know comfort, safety and love,” the Sanchez family said in a post on a GoFundMe organized on their behalf.

Lucia was a normal, happy baby, at least until she was about three months old.

Then on one ordinary evening her father, James Sanchez, noticed a hard spot on her right side.

Babies have stomach troubles all the time, her mother thought as they discussed what to do.

“But we are very much a peace of mind family,” Florita Sanchez said.

They made the decision to take her to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, thinking they might just get a big hospital bill for a case of gas.

A reassuring medical worker thought maybe it was just a rib they were feeling.

But an ultrasound and an x-ray were ordered, as Lucia’s parents waited to hear more.

Hours later a doctor delivered the news: “It looks like she has cancer.”

By 2 a.m. the decision was made in consultation with specialists at Seattle Children’s hospital to fly her there as soon as the weather cleared.

A biopsy there confirmed the diagnosis of hepatoblastoma, which can occur in babies and children up to about age 3.

“I never thought I’d learn the layout of a cancer care unit because my baby needed it,” Florita Sanchez posted to Facebook on Feb. 17. “I am terrified. I am heartbroken.”

‘Handling treatment like a warrior’

But Lucia’s oncologist assured her parents that babies are resilient, and Lucia appears to be proving that point.

She is doing well and is comfortable, her mother says.

“One of my biggest concerns that I told her oncologist was like, I don’t want my baby to not be her, not be a baby, and not be herself,” Florita Sanchez said. Lucia has always been a chill baby, her mother said.

Her parents are on a mission to keep her eating. She’s gaining weight with the help of an antinausea drug administered every two hours.

Photos show a baby with chubby cheeks and a grin on her face as her mother holds her.

“She’s been handling treatment like a warrior,” the Sanchez family posted in a GoFundMe update after her second round of chemotherapy. “She’s still our smiley baby in between the hard moments.”

There have been other wins.

The chemotherapy drug she’s being given carries a significant risk of hearing loss and is being paired with another drug to reduce the risk of hearing loss.

As of last week, her hearing check was normal.

But seeing her thick, dark hair start to fall out has been tough.

“It’s bittersweet to see, but we’re trying to find the light in it,” Florita Sanchez posted on her Facebook page. “We’ve been joking that she is going to look even more like her daddy now, and she’s still just as beautiful as ever.”

The baby is tentatively scheduled to have surgery next week to remove the tumor on her liver, along with about half of her liver. Fortunately, livers are capable of regenerating.

She could need three more rounds of chemotherapy after that.

James and Florita, along with their 3-year-old son, are staying in Seattle, with help from a GoFundMe that has raised nearly $40,000 so far.

“We were very taken aback by the response and people’s generosity,” Florita Sanchez said. Among those who donated have been strangers and people they haven’t seen for 15 years.

Both parents work for the Washington state Department of Social and Health Services. James Sanchez may be able to work remotely, but not Florita Sanchez.

Family remains in Seattle

She has seen first-hand the need for more support for those with an ill family member.

She had used up most of the 12 weeks of unpaid leave allowed per year under the Family and Medical Leave Act when Lucia was born.

Now she’s parsing out her saved time off a day or two a month at a time to cover health insurance premiums and is hoping that her job will be protected.

The other thing that surprised her was the limited amount of money spent by the federal government on pediatric cancer research, she said. Cancer is the leading disease-related cause of death for American children, but just 4% of federal cancer research focuses on pediatric cancers.

The Sanchez family expects to spend three more months in Seattle as Lucia completes chemotherapy.

They will continue soaking in the slow days between treatments. “The quiet mornings. The extra cuddles. The normal moments that don’t feel so normal anymore,” Florita Sanchez posted on Facebook.

To donate to the GoFundMe set up to help with their expenses, go to bit.ly/4uzstPB.