For my niece Amelia and her parents:
Amelia turned two years old in early June. She should’ve been spending this time doing all the things a two-year-old is supposed to do: playing with her toys, learning new words, being surrounded by her family, and discovering more of the world around her every day. Being together as a family every weekend had always been a tradition for us. We would sit at a table of eight people, which is some of my best memories. Even at such a young age, Amelia was the center of it all, making jokes and faces and making all of us laugh and smile.

 A couple of weeks after her second birthday, things started to change. She had an infection that led to her getting bloodwork done. The results were concerning and led to more testing and different concerns from doctors, quickly turning what had been a nice beginning of summer into something we hoped wasn’t as frightening as it sounded. She was transferred to pediatric oncology, where more bloodwork, genetic testing, and PCR testing were done. While waiting weeks for a diagnosis, she stayed in the hospital with her mother, getting bloodwork, transfusions, and just waiting.

 For weeks, the family and doctors went back and forth between possible diagnoses, trying to understand what was happening while Amelia remained in the hospital, confused and uncomfortable. Every new test seemed more concerning and confusing, and we kept waiting and hoping for an explanation that wouldn’t be the one we were most afraid of.

And eventually, we got the answer. Amelia was diagnosed with acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL, also called AML M7), without Down syndrome, which is a rare form of acute myeloid leukemia. AMKL without Down syndrome is even more rare and generally requires more intensive treatment, and a more challenging treatment course than the form associated with Down syndrome.

 In the span of just a few weeks, our weekends together as a family were replaced by hospital rooms, blood tests, transfusions, doctors, and uncertainty. Amelia went from being a little girl who had just celebrated her second birthday to beginning a fight that no two year old should ever have to face.

 Amelia lives in Moldova with her mom, Doina, and her dad, Tolea. Because of the rarity and complexity of her condition, her treatment has taken her family far from home to Italy, where she can receive specialized care. Everything changed for them almost overnight. It was terrifying watching them pack their bags to fly to Italy within just three days of finding out they had to go. They packed whatever they could bring and flew there as quickly as they could. It was so scary for the rest of us.

 Since then, Amelia and her mother, Doina, have been in constant isolation in the hospital. She is only two, so she doesn’t understand why she has to live in a hospital. She wants to go outside and go back to her fun life with her family. The nurses and doctors speak Italian to her, and the food is completely different from what she’s used to.

Amelia started chemotherapy two weeks ago, beginning with one week of constant chemo. At one point, she had five cables connected to her, all with medication flowing through them. The week after her first round of chemo was awful for her: nonstop crying, blisters in her mouth, nausea, and not wanting to eat. According to Doina, a big chunk of her hair has already fallen out. Doina is doing her best to stay strong and not make things a big deal for Amelia, even though she is also experiencing incredible pain from watching her go through all of this.

 And while Amelia’s parents are focused on the most important thing, Amelia’s treatment, there are still other life concerns and expenses to deal with. They are navigating medical care in another country, while Tolea had to return to Moldova for work. He has been rushing around dealing with travel, transportation, documents and paperwork for Italy, and all the other unexpected expenses and stresses that come with suddenly having a seriously ill child who is far from home.

 I’m Amelia’s aunt. She calls me Nana, and I am organizing this fundraiser from the U.S. on behalf of Amelia, Doina, and Tolea. The money raised will go directly toward supporting Amelia and her parents throughout her treatment, including medical and treatment-related expenses, travel, accommodations, transportation, food, documentation, and other necessities while they are away from home.

 More than anything, I want Doina and Tolea to be able to spend this time thinking about Amelia instead of worrying about how they are going to afford everything that comes with getting her the care she needs.

 If you’re able to donate, no matter the amount, you will be helping a family whose entire world changed in the course of one summer. If you aren’t able to donate, sharing Amelia’s story is just as meaningful to us.

Amelia has a long and difficult road ahead of her, but she also has a family that loves her beyond words, is standing beside her every step of the way, and is doing everything we can. Thank you for helping us stand beside her too.