Bella Cortez

On May 22, 2020, Janelle(mom) and Marsha(great grandma) made the decision to take our sweet Bella to Enloe hospital after seeing her exhibit unusual symptoms. She was having a hard time focusing her eyes, when she walked she would frequently fall down and her speech was slurred. This was not normal for Bella at all. After some testing was completed at Enloe, including a CT scan of Bella’s brain, the doctors stated that there was an abnormal growth on Bella’s brain that was producing fluid which was not draining properly, thus, causing increased intracranial pressure. The doctors made the prompt decision to send Bella to UC Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento. Upon arrival at UC Davis, the doctors reviewed Bella’s CT scan from Enloe and made the diagnosis of brain cancer. The details were very vague and they needed to do more testing to find out more about the abnormal growth and where exactly it is on her brain. An MRI test was performed and the results were devastating. The doctors informed us that Bella has a malignant brain tumor on her brain stem. Due to the location of the tumor it is not possible to remove it without permanently damaging Bella’s motor skills. On May 26, 2020 , Bella underwent her first surgery. This surgery consisted of placing a shunt in her brain to her abdomen to drain the cerebrospinal fluid that was building up in her brain. They also took a biopsy of the tumor which was sent out to pathology to diagnose the type of tumor Bella has. Bella handled the surgery so well, she has been so brave and strong throughout this whole process. As of right now, Bella is doing really well and will be moved out of the ICU to a different floor to recover from the surgery. She is able to come home for a few days while waiting on the pathology results. When we receive the results and know the type of tumor she has, the doctors will then create a plan of care to beat this cancer which will most likely include chemotherapy and radiation. Janelle is a single mom and is now unable to work given the circumstances...they both have a long, challenging journey ahead. I will be posting daily updates about Bella’s condition here. We are going to create a GoFundMe account for Janelle to take the financial stress away from her during this devastating time. We are also creating an account on CareCalender.org which will allow donations other than money such as; clothes, toiletries, food, or anything else Janelle and Bella may need throughout the duration of her treatment. This is an unfathomable, heartbreaking situation that no child, parent, grandparent or family member should have to endure. Bella has touched our lives in such a unique way with her wild imagination, sweet little smile, laugh and personality. She is so smart and only four years old. She has the whole world at her fingertips and once she beats this cancer, I know she will continue to make an impact on so many lives. We will all continue to be strong for miss Bella Boo and we will fight alongside her and beat this together. Thank you all for your continued support, prayers and love.