OPERATION NOEL: Family struggling after son diagnosed with cancer

Trying to get back to the life they had before cancer changed their life. The Martinez family is slowly getting there, but challenges remain.

“We have to just support each other, and try to just take a deep breath, knowing that things will be okay.”

Amanda Martinez remains hopeful her family’s situation will turn around soon. Her son Edmundo, or MJ as he prefers to be called, is recovering after being diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, or ALL.

MJ is currently in the maintenance phase, and is slowly getting back to the routine of daily life. The 7-year-old boy is in good spirits this day. “I started swimming and I just got told that I can play sports again. It made me happy,” the boy said.

The avid football fan adds he misses being able to run with his friends and play with them. Amanda said telling him he couldn’t play anymore really had an impact on him.

Last year before MJ was diagnosed, Amanda and her husband didn’t know what was wrong with their son. “He couldn’t walk,” said Amanda. “You know, at school he couldn’t write. He couldn’t write. His writing was messy

She said MJ was in constant pain, but they didn’t know what was causing it.

At first, doctors diagnosed MJ with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Later, they would learn it was cancer. “It’s like a bad dream that I guess you can never get out of. It’s a nightmare,” said Amanda.

“You don’t want your kid, you don’t want any kid, especially your kid go through anything like that.” She added, “They’re so innocent, and they can’t defend themselves. It’s like you wish you could take their place.”

Amanda had to leave the workforce to devote all her time to MJ, who was pulled out of school.

The boy’s father kept working, but would miss a lot because he couldn’t stand not being by his son’s bedside. He would eventually get laid off. “A lot of places, a lot of employers, won’t be like ‘oh yeah, go ahead’, so it’s kind of hard,” said Amanda about her husband being laid off.

“It’s hard of the family.” Another challenge was the stress that came with taking care of MJ. Amanda said she and her husband would get frustrated and weren’t happy. They both just wanted it all to go away.

“And of course, it wasn’t”, she added.

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. A couple of weeks ago, her husband began working again, so she’s hopeful their financial situation will improve.

Today, MJ is doing better little by little, but Amanda said they’re still stepping on rocks. “You see him doing good, and all of sudden then he just falls. And you’re like, I don’t want to see that again.”

They still have to take MJ to the clinic once a week, and monitor him. “We’re always on standby”, said Amanda.

But MJ’s energy levels are a welcomed sight. “You can’t even tell he got chemo. Because he’s up and running again, and it’s like wow.”

Right now, all the family’s income goes to MJ’s medical expenses. They don’t have extra funds to buy clothes. “Especially since kids grow out of clothes so fast, and it’s hard.”

Amanda hopes others can put themselves into their shoes and try to empathize. She hopes that will help others see the importance of giving back.

“Just thank you for everybody who donates and helps anybody in need around this time or any time.”

ANNUAL TELETHON

ABC-7’S Annual Operation Noel Telethon will be next Thursday. A donation of $13.50 will help pay for one jacket.

You can donate by clicking here.

For more than 70 years, Operation Noel has looked out for some of our area’s neediest children.

The charity has evolved over the years, but its primary mission today is to provide new winter coats to more than 20,000 children in the region whose families cannot afford to buy the coats for them. This is possible through community donations both individual and corporate. One hundred percent of the donations go toward paying the bill for the new coats, which is approximately $270,000.00, or approximately $13.50 per coat.

For many area children, Operation Noel is their only hope of getting a new winter coat. Over the years, we have heard of Operation Noel coats being passed on to younger children in the family.

The children who receive the coats are identified by area social workers, educators and school counselors.