I wish to have a Sweet 16
Jessie
17
cancer
Jessie Celebrates Her Sweet 16
In 2019, Jessie discovered a lump on her shoulder. That one moment sparked an avalanche of doctors’ visits, biopsies, procedures and scans in attempt to identify the mass. An x-ray would eventually reveal that Jessie also had “bubbles” in her lungs.
“As doctors struggled to figure out my condition, my happiness faded,” Jessie shared. “Every day I would be examined, and my body would be hurting so much because I would have a lot of blood work done and IVs would be stuck in me. It was overwhelming to be analyzed, given different medications, being hooked up on machines and constantly hearing that beeping noise was exhausting.”
After multiple months, Jessie received a cancer diagnosis.
“I was scared and felt lost,” she continued. “I couldn’t process everything that was happening. I had to go through taking IV chemotherapy. I cannot express the pain I went through for all these years. My family was always making sure I was safe, but I couldn’t stop thinking about if I was ever going to live a normal life again.”
The cancer not only took its toll on Jessie’s body, but on her mind as well.
“The most difficult part of my journey was coping with my depression,” she shared. “To my surprise, therapy was what I needed because I could express all the emotions I had bottled up inside me. I could express my pain to finally get the help I wanted all along. In the end, I became a much better individual. Today I’m calmer, wiser and more comfortable with myself. I’m so proud of the person I am today.”
Jessie and her family were first introduced to Make-A-Wish during a visit at the Children's Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. In determining what she wanted to wish for, Jessie reflected on her health journey and how far she had come.
“I wanted my wish to be something that I can remember for the rest of my life,” Jessie continued. “When I turned 16 in the hospital, I felt sad because I thought I wasn’t going to get the chance to truly celebrate my sweet 16 the way I had originally envisioned it. I wanted a huge party with all my family and friends there. I wanted it to be the happiest moment of my life and to make me realize how far I’ve come in life despite my tough situation. Thankfully, Make-A-Wish granted me the opportunity to make my wish come true.”
The night of Jessie’s Sweet 16 party was a celebration of her life, her perseverance through the hardships she faced and the special bond she shares with her family and friends.
“Just to be surrounded by my wonderful family and friends was the best feeling in my life,” Jessie reflected. “One highlight I will remember from my party is dancing with my dad because I’ve never seen him so happy in his life. He was crying tears of joy when we danced together, and it felt great to share that moment with my dad.”
“I also enjoyed greeting and dancing with my family and friends because I haven’t seen most of my family in such a long time,” Jessie continued. “I felt so much joy to reunite with them again. Seeing everyone there especially my family, friends, my amazing doctors and my volunteers from the Make-A-Wish Foundation was truly a blessing to me, making it the greatest day of my life."
“Before her party, she couldn’t stop smiling,” her parents Jorge and Maria said. “As soon as the party started, she was jumping up and down because she was so happy. That evening was truly the happiest moment of her life because we have never seen her filled with so much joy before.”
“It feels amazing to know that there are so many amazing people out there that wanted to help us out in our time of need,” Jorge and Maria continued. “Providing the funds to grant our daughters wish was a miracle because she got everything she had wished for. The Make-A-Wish Foundation has had an incredible impact on our lives and we are very grateful for them to have helped to create a very special moment for our daughter.”
Now in her junior year of high school, Jessie continues to look towards the future with hopes of one day becoming a cardiologist. “Education is something I’m very committed to,” she says. “I’ll be earning an associate degree in my senior year which will grant me the opportunity to only take two years of college instead of four. I’m truly grateful to have been blessed with so many great opportunities in life and I hope to keep achieving my dreams.”
