Help Ava: Warrior Princess Against Cancer

**UPDATE(as of 9/24/24):

After years of treatment, Ava’s brain tumor has shrunk some! However, Ava is still ongoing treatment, and now is able to do so from the comfort of home. Ava receives a strict schedule of daily oral chemo medication, which unfortunately causes waves of side effects such as severe fevers and rashes. These side effects can be debilitating, causing her to miss days of school, miss out on activities and can even need hospitalization. In addition to her cancer diagnosis, due to the location of the tumor and the impact it caused, Ava is now completely blind. Despite having cancer and all that has come along with it, Ava is a strong, positive, happy and an incredibly smart young lady. Ava is currently in Kindergarten. In addition to the kindergarten curriculum, Ava learns braille and practices navigating the world with the use of her cane. She enjoys extracurricular activities such as dance classes and swimming lessons. Ava has incredible style, and loves fashion, accessories and going to the hair salon. She loves to tell jokes, listening to music, and playing. Some of her favorite things include Bluey, Descendants on Disney, Monster High dolls, and of course, Post Malone.

Ava and her family are so grateful for the continued support of family, friends, neighbors and everyone who has donated, helped spread awareness and shared her story with the world.

You can see more updates of Ava in real time by following her mom on TikTok @kellyserici

The Backstory:

Hi, my name is Jillian. My husband introduced me to his lifelong friend, Joe about 4 years ago. His fiancé (now wife), Kelly and I became instant best friends. So, when Kelly and Joe gave birth to their daughter, Ava, it was only fitting that her and our daughter Aria became best friends too. For the last 2 weeks Ava had come down with what we thought was some sort of stomach bug or dairy related allergy as her pediatrician suggested. When the stomach pain didn’t let up, concerned parents Joe and Kelly Serici brought 2 year old Ava into the ER to be seen. It was then that a CT revealed a mass on her brain and she was instantly transferred to CHOP.

Her Diagnosis:

After several tests and procedures, Ava was diagnosed with pilocytic astrocytoma, a type of brain cancer. Ava will begin her 58 weeks of chemo treatment come August. Both Joe and Kelly will be taking time off from work to help Ava transition into treatment.

How You Can Help:

This entire family is like family to us and our heart breaks for them. These are people who make everyone feel welcome in their home, no matter who you are. They go above and beyond for their families and friends, and now it is our turn to support them in any way we can. We are trying to stay positive and make Ava’s next year of treatment as normal and happy as possible. If any one at all would be able to donate, we would be eternally grateful. Ava is the happiest, most beautiful and kind little diva baby you will ever meet. Any donations made will go directly to the Serici family to help make this next year of treatments as smooth for Ava as possible. No child or family should ever have to go through this, and every little bit helps. To get the word out, please consider sharing this to your social media pages! Thank you all for your support.