Possible heart problem

Naomi was experiencing a bad cough and fever this week, so Nina took her to the emergency room. Naomi's pediatrician recommended a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia, and in the x-ray it appeared that Namoi's heart is enlarged, which could be a sign of heart damage. The chemotherapy drugs that Naomi has been taking could be responsible for the enlargement, but happily her pediatrician found that there were no other symptoms or signs of heart problems, such as water in the lungs, irregular heartbeat, etc. Naomi will be undergoing and Echo-Cardiogram on September 12 to rule out a heart problem. Please continue your prayers!

Naomi nearly goes into Anaphylactic Shock

Wednesday, 8/2/06, was very scary. During her normal weekly Cheomtheopy, Naomi recieved her 4th dose of 'PEG Asparaginase'. There was no reaction from the previous doses of this medication but on this occasion she began to go into anaphylactic shock, causing a code blue alert to be sent out in the hospital. Code blue is a high priority alert to the hospital staff announcing that someone is dangerously near death and all hands need to be readily available to assist.

Within seconds after the alert, Naomi's room started being filled with doctors, nurse practitioners, and other emergency medical professionals. During the episode, all of Naomi's soft tissue began to swell including her lips, throat and eyes, while all her organs began to shut down on their own to protect her body. The doctors quickly gave her benadryl, cortisone, prednisone steroid, and a epinephrine injection to stop the effects of the PEG Asparaginase. Naomi is still in the danger zone for the first 48 hours following this event. We spent the last 24 hours in the hospital and the next few day we will stay nearby in case of another violent allergic reaction.

The dilemma we are facing after this episode is that Naomi is scheduled to receive one more dose of PEG Asparaginase on August 23rd. This will be her last dose. We are told that we can either 1) refuse this dose, 2) pre-medicate her before she receives the PEG, or 3) switch to the L-Asparaginase, which is a different type of Asparaginase that is not approved by the FDA. We are unsure of which direction to take and the doctors are leaving it up to us to decide with little guidance at this time. We're still waiting to talk with Naomi's Attending physician Dr. Gary Dahl about his opinion on all this.

Please continue to pray for our precious little Naomi.

Naomi goes to Chuck E. Cheese's Restaurant

Naomi and Jeremiah posing with Chuck E. Cheese and Helen Henny








Oh what a beautiful morning! This morning, Tuesday, August 1, 2006, Naomi had her wish to visit her favorite restaurant granted. Because of her illness (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia), Naomi can't be exposed to groups of children or be in environments which likely have high levels of germs, bacteria and viruses. Chuck E Cheese's Restaurant, which appeals especially to young children, would normally be off limits for obvious reasons. Before her diagnosis, Naomi's parents made a trip to the local Chuck E. Cheese's Restaurant every Monday as a family outing. Chuck E. Cheese's Restaurant became a favorite destination for Naomi, and she truly missed being able to go and enjoy herself. Nina, Naomi's mother, contacted the management at the local Modesto Chuck E. Cheese's Restaurant and explained Naomi's condition and situation. She was pleasantly surprised when the management at Chuck E. Cheese's Restaurant offered to open the restaurant early for Naomi's use! Their staff stayed late Monday night cleaning the facility, making sure that everything was hygenic and sterile, perfect for Naomi to visit and have a great time.




Naomi posing with Helen Henny









When we arrived this morning, we were greeted with great fanfare and joyous smiles by the entire staff, including characters Chuck E. Cheese and Helen Henny. Incredibly, the person playing Helen had actually flown in from Los Angeles specifically to make Naomi's visit extra special. Needless to say, Naomi was stunned and speechless, as were we all. Naomi took several photos with everyone, and both she and her brother Jeremiah were given cups filled with tokens for all of the games and rides. Over the course of the next three hours we all had a great time!

Naomi's favorite game was the Sponge Bob game, where the challenge was to land a token precisely on a square. After only a few attempts, Naomi landed on the square with the highest possible points and we all erupted with praise and applause! Her favorite ride was a roller coaster similator. This ride included videos of 4 famous rollercoasters from across the USA. Naomi threw her hands in the air and squealed with delight as she rode.





Naomi and Jeremiah on the rollercoaster simulator











Naomi and Helen Henny on the rollercoaster simulator









Jeremiah's favorite game was air hockey, where he not only beat Naomi, but also his mother and myself! It was rather humbling to be beaten by a 5 year old, but he's faster and stronger than you'd think! His favorite ride was a thrill ride simulator. It was more intense than the rollercoaster simulator, but similar in concept. Jeremiah insisted that we all take turns riding with him, including Chuck E. Cheese, who graciously fulfilled the 5 year old's request. Jeremiah giggled as we each feigned terror while on the ride.



Jeremiah and Chuck E. Cheese on the thrill ride simulator











Helen Henny trying to help Naomi beat Jeremiah in air hockey











Jeremiah beating his mother, Nina, in air hockey











Naomi preparing to race her aunt, Victoria, in water pistol game









In addition to being gracious, kind, considerate hosts, the Chuck E. Cheese's Restaurant staff also provided us with drinks, freshly baked pizza and salad. They danced and sang for us, and made sure we lacked for nothing. We extend our utmost thanks, gratitude and blessings to everyone involved in what Jeremiah proclaimed on behalf of his sister “the best day of our lives”.

Special thanks to:
Edwin Barahona, General Manager
Wendy Lopez, Manager
Loretta Bell-Read, Manager
Nichole Campos, Manager
Martin Olivera, Chuck E. Cheese character
Jennifer Chrisman, Helen Henny character
Breanna Owens
Jennifer Granados
Claudia Valencia
Melody Tambasan
Kelvin Almazan
Lareyna Baldez
Heather Silva
Natassia Baldez
Vince Archibeque
Marissa Montenegro
Anndreana Palmore
Jason Sain
Kevin Le
Cindy Corpuz
Jasmine Blacks-Wheeler
CEC Entertainment. Inc.

God bless you all!

Naomi goes to Preschool

After waiting for her ANC to go up, Naomi got her wish to visit her old Pre-School last Friday, 7/28/06. As soon as she walked in the door she was greeted with a cheerful welcome from all her old friends. Naomi was very happy to see all her old buddies: Katie, Hailey, Riley, Emily, Courtney and Joe, each of whom took turns playing their favorite games with her. She gave hugs to all her classmates and her favorite teacher Mrs. Scrugs before leaving. Several other teachers popped their heads into the class to say hello to the little celebrity of the hour. Naomi had been asking nearly everyday to go back to school and last Friday she got her wish. As we got back into the car, Naomi quickly asked to return to class again soon. Being the bargaining mom that I am, I told her that if she eats all of her green foods for three dinners she can go back. She won the bargain last night.

Nina