Three years ago, Gia was a happy, healthy 4-year-old just starting preschool. She was an animal lover who adored cats and, like most kids her age, was focused on playing and having fun. Her family had no reason to think that was about to change.

It started with pain in her legs. At first, her pediatrician thought it was growing pains. But around Christmas, the pain became so severe that Gia could not get up.

Her family took her to a local emergency room, where her blood tests showed that something was seriously wrong. Gia was sent to Westchester Medical Center, and the next day, doctors gave the family a diagnosis: leukemia.

A Rocky Start

Early in her treatment, Gia developed a serious fungal infection. The chemotherapy had weakened her immune system. She also had repeated infections that in some cases required skin biopsies.

Through it all, her family says, Gia kept her smile.

“She always had a smile on her face,” her mom, Karli, says. “She was always looking at the positives.”

Even during some of the hardest moments, Gia wanted to play a game. Her ability to find something positive gave her mom strength, too.

“She’s a fighter,” Karli says. “She gave me the strength to get through this.”

A Team That Became Family

Gia was treated by Edo Schaefer, MD, Section Chief of Hematology, and Allyson Flower, MD, Clinical Director of Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation and Cell Therapy, at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. Her family says the team took the time to explain every step of Gia’s care, which made an overwhelming situation easier to face.

“They took the time to care,” Karli says. “They helped me understand what they were going to do and why.”

Gia also quickly learned how to speak up for herself. She loved the playrooms at the hospital, especially the arts and crafts activities, and she became known for negotiating with her nurses. On days that she was feeling well enough, she would ask them if she could walk the halls.

“She’s already using her negotiating skills on me,” Karli says with a laugh.

A Second Home

After Gia’s fungal infection, the family faced a new problem: the closest place they could stay near the hospital was in New Jersey, more than two hours away with traffic.

Ronald McDonald House Westchester changed that.

“They got us in right away,” Karli says. “The first time we went there, I was blown away by how much they do for people. They don’t expect anything in return. They’re like a second family to us now. They’ve watched Gia grow up.”

Over the course of Gia’s treatment, the family spent more than 300 nights at Ronald McDonald House Westchester. Whenever Gia needed overnight surgery, the family could stay there rather than rushing home and back to the hospital.

The staff also made sure Gia had toys, snacks and other things to make her stays more comfortable.

Ringing the Bell

Gia received her last chemotherapy treatment on July 3.

In late September, the family returned to Ronald McDonald House Westchester for another important milestone: having her port removed. The following day, Gia and her medical team held a belated celebration for her seventh birthday, which was in August.

Gia still receives some medication through a feeding tube, so she does not fully understand yet that her treatment is finished. Karli thinks the bell-ringing ceremony that Ronald McDonald House is planning will help make the milestone feel real.

Getting Back to Being a Kid

Looking ahead, Karli is most excited for something simple: for her 7-year-old to just be a kid again.

“She’s missed so much, the parties, playing with other children,” Karli says. “I’m looking forward to seeing her back in school, without me worrying every time someone coughs or sneezes near her.”

During treatment, even a small or common illness could have meant a trip to the emergency room for Gia.

Karli credits the team at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital for getting the family through it: “We are so happy we had the team we had. We trust them with her life.”

After years of hospital stays, procedures and treatment, Gia is ready for the everyday moments she has missed: a day at school, time with friends, and plenty of time to play.