From Devastation to Hope: The Abrego Alvarado Family’s Journey Through Childhood Cancer
The Abrego Alvarado family nightmare began just after a summer family wedding when all should be happy and right with the world. In June of 2017, Natalia and Luis took their then four-going-on-five-year-old son, Erick to the doctor for blood work. Erick had been unusually tired and often appeared pale with fevers reaching 103 to 104 degrees for the past two months. These symptoms had so far been dismissed by doctors as some kind of common childhood sickness. This time, Natalia and Luis pushed harder for answers.
Erick had his first blood draw at an early morning clinic, then went home. After several hours of no news, Natalia started to relax, assuming things were fine. At dinner time, the doctor called and said, “You need to go straight to the hospital for a blood transfusion. If you can’t drive, I’ll send an ambulance.” When Natalia began to ask questions, the doctor said they could explain it better when they got there. And thus began the family’s battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The first hours and days of diagnosis passed in a blur for Natalia and Luis. When Natalia first heard the diagnosis, her tears felt endless. Her mom said to her, “Cry all you want to right now because tomorrow, your son will need you.” As the days went on, medical teams continued to keep Natalia informed, helping to calm her nerves. They told Natalia and Luis that acute lymphoblastic leukemia is one of the most common curable cancers for children and has a 90% survival rate.
Three years of cancer treatment seems like more than anyone can endure, much less a small child. Yet Erick remained at peace throughout the entire experience, even while having a port inserted into his tiny chest for chemo, one of the hardest things Natalia ever had to watch. But the smile on his face was a constant throughout it all. While watching the port insertion may have been awful, one of the most amazing things Natalia had ever seen was her five-year-old son receiving chemo through his port while blissfully munching on McDonald’s chicken nuggets.
Natalia, Luis and Erick found a fun way to cope together as a family, and perhaps one that was quite appropriate given the battle for Erick’s life they were waging. They became a family of Marvel fans. When Erick’s hair started to grow back, they went to the theater to watch Avengers: Infinity War, a moment not soon to be forgotten by anyone in the family. Guardians of the Galaxy now rules the day for Erick, and he cannot wait to enjoy the new ride at Epcot on an upcoming Make-A-Wish trip.
Natalia credits Mission Cancer Center with providing the best care imaginable for her family, even through the chaos of a global pandemic. During what was a very lonely, and at times, a dark place for Luis and Natalia, community organizations such as Friends of Santa and Make-A-Wish Foundation provided genuine care and support. Their family also offered unfathomable support throughout the entire ordeal to the point of inviting them to come live with them at different times due to the hardships arising emotionally, financially, and even in day-to-day scheduling.
When disaster came to Natalia’s little family, it was family that got her through. So often it’s easy for family and friends to be there at the beginning of a struggle, offering home cooked meals, supportive phone calls, and the proverbial thoughts and prayers. However, what got Natalia and Luis through were the people who made sure to stick around. Natalia pleads with people to not give up on those going through a similar process. “My family was always there for us,” she says.
The oncology team pronounced Erick cancer-free in August of 2020. He has a fierce five year regimen of blood work ahead that relaxes each year as long as there is no recurrence. Natalia and Luis are working hard to bring some sense of order back to their family’s world. Natalia resigned from her job to take care of Erick. She is now enrolled in esthetician school and is excited about a fresh start. They look forward to the day they can move back into a home of their own. Natalia wants other parents going through sickness with their own child to know that “they are the strongest people ever for going through that.” Natalia is living proof of her own words.
Written by: Emily McCollin