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On April 11th, Richard and Julie Aal heard the words that no parent should ever have to hear: "Your child has cancer."
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Within days of that prognosis, eight year-old Elana Aal had started down the long road that no child should ever have to travel: chemotherapy treatments, constant tests to monitor her health, and come late July, surgery to remove the tumor in her upper arm and replace the diseased bone with a metal rod.
Elana has a particularly aggressive form of osteogenic sarcoma--bone cancer. Her condition was discovered after she’d complained of soreness in her left arm. Fearing that she’d suffered a slight fracture as the result of a fall off the monkey bars a few weeks earlier, Richard and Julie took her to the doctor for an X-ray. In retrospect, a fracture would have been good news.
As you can imagine, the past months have been very hard for the Aals, and we can assume that after Elana’s surgery, they’ll only get harder. Best case scenario, Elana faces months of rehabilitation on her arm and shoulder, and six months to a year more of intense chemo.
In the face of this, Elana has shown us the true meaning of courage and optimism. Despite the repeated four-night stays at Stanford hospital, the loss of her hair, and the other debilitating effects of the chemo treatments, Elana continues to smile. The spunkiness that is so much a part of her personality are serving her well during this difficult time. |
Richard and Julie, too, have been an inspiration. As you might imagine, their world has been turned upside down, emotionally and financially. In addition to the overwhelming worry and stress that come with having a sick child, caring for a child with cancer is a full-time job, so a dual-income family has become a single-income family, and the bills are piling up. Despite that, we don’t imagine that any two parents could handle the situation with more strength or grace. Likewise, 10-year old sister Alexandra has been the consummate big sister, showing sensitivity, kindness and compassion beyond her years.
We are hopeful that Elana’s attitude, combined with her family’s loving support, Stanford’s excellent medical care, and the positive energy of those around her, will result in a full recovery for Elana. That’s where you come in.
If you’re spiritual person, we ask that keep Elana in your prayers. If not, please just keep her in your thoughts. And if you have the means to make a small contribution to the Aal family to help them with the many expenses that insurance doesn’t cover, please consider doing so. Donations can be made by sending a check to the address below. Or you can donate with your credit card using the attached link.
On behalf of the Richard, Julie, Alexandra and, of course, Elana, thank you so much.
Please send donations to:
FRIENDS OF ELANA AAL FUND
C/O SY AAL (Elana’s grandmother)
550 DAVIS ST. #11
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111
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