Meet Isabella

Isabella is a smart, spunky and energetic kid who loves her family, music, dancing, painting, baking, cooking, everything make-up, and arts and crafts. Amanda, Isabella's mom, says her daughter is also as sassy as ever, despite the very challenging year she's endured.

In February 2023, after multiple primary care and emergency room visits, Isabella ended up in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) at Phoenix Children's. She had a tumor in her stomach pushing up against her organs and her kidneys had stopped working. She was also going in and out of consciousness. Isabella had rhabdomyosarcoma, a form of cancer that primarily affects children and develops from the cells that eventually form skeletal muscles. This form of cancer is characterized by rapid growth, so Isabella has had to undergo aggressive treatment.

“After surgery, Isabella immediately started heavy doses of chemotherapy and lost her ability to walk—all while being hospitalized until the end of March 2023,” says Amanda. “She was in the hospital for two months and in bed all the time. Radiation caused weight loss and loss of balance, and she received multiple blood transfusions.”

As of June 2023, radiation therapy became a part of Isabella's daily routine. She has undergone anesthesia 33 times daily, except on weekends, to receive radiation while still receiving daily chemotherapy.

Thus far, Isabella's treatments have paid off and her scans are looking good. She's on track to “ring the bell” at Phoenix Children's in July or August to signify the end of her treatment. Amanda adds that Isabella's currently in weekly physical therapy and is slowly gaining her ability to walk again.

“We are proud to say we are in ‘maintenance' with weekly in-clinic IV chemotherapy at Phoenix Children's and daily at-home chemotherapy medication,” says Amanda. “We are optimistic for Isabella's future. We have faith that she will ring the bell.”

Child Life and Animal-Assisted Therapy, two of more than 170 programs and services at Phoenix Children's funded by philanthropy, played a big role in helping Isabella and her parents during this challenging year. The therapy dogs helped Isabella on really tough days, and Isabella was encouraged to set up her DJ equipment and play for the nurses. Amanda says Isabella made a remix to “Nurse Becca's, ‘Hey, Isabella, Good Morning!'”