Rogelio is five-year old boy from Oregon who was diagnosed with rhabdomyosacrcoma. His tumor is inoperable but his prognosis is good after he completes chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Before his diagnosis in July 2022, he was super excited to start kindergarten. He absolutely enjoys playtime and loves dinosaurs and playing with his big sister and going to the beach to play in the ocean water. During treatment, he has become very fond of Pokémon. Despite every challenge he has faced, he is staying strong and is often still his goofy self. He has had multiple surgical procedures and started chemotherapy and radiation which comes with fatigue and constant nausea.
As his mom, I want to encourage all parents to pay close attention to your children and even the smallest changes. I was lucky to catch Rogelio's tumor (extremely fast-growing) because I noticed the tiniest little change in the shape of his eyes. Within a day I had gotten him in to see his primary doctor and an eye doctor whom I knew would be able to see what I thought might be there; and the next day, we were sent to the children's hospital in Portland, Oregon and his diagnosis came quickly after that. Don't wait to check on them, make the calls, ask all the questions and make sure your baby is okay, and don't stop fighting to get them better. Stay strong.