9-year-old Rockland County girl advocates for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Jelien Ramos, 9, and her family live in Garnerville. She was diagnosed with leukemia when she was just three years old.
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September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
A 9-year-old girl in Rockland County is sharing her journey with leukemia and how she advocates for awareness.
Jelien Ramos and her family live in Garnerville. She was diagnosed with leukemia when she was just 3 years old.
"I was just a baby," says Ramos. "By the time COVID hit, I was still in the hospital. So, it was tough."
After two and a half years of being in and out of the hospital, she now gives back and raises awareness.
"I want to give back, and want them to feel like they're not alone and they're brave and strong," she says.
This is why Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September is so important to Ramos and her family. They say their work to raise awareness happens year-round.
Doctors say it's important to look out for possible signs of childhood cancer.
"Unexplained fever, unexplained pain, weight loss, night sweats, change in their appetite," says Mitchell Cairo, chief of pediatric hematology, oncology, and stem cell transplantation at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital.
Ramos is now back in school.
"She's a cheerleader. She's a dancer, Girl Scout. She loves, you know, the sense of being a child again," says her mother.
Her family is hoping for some good news next year.
"Next year I'll actually become cancer-free. They'll just check up on me, make sure I'm OK," says Ramos.
