“She’s bubbly and talkative all the time,” laughs Shanekqa, mom to ASK Kid Kenya. “When she walks into a room, everyone immediately falls in love with her!” Kenya is a jokester at heart who loves to laugh and make others laugh with her. That’s why Shanekqa knew something was wrong when she watched Kenya slowly withdraw from friends and family, as the pain in her side and back grew stronger.
After several months of a steady decline in physical ability, she was taken to the doctor and diagnosed with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a type of blood cancer that happens when the bone marrow produces too many abnormal B-lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell.
“My baby was only 10 years old when she was diagnosed with cancer,” Shanekqa remembers. “I was devastated by the news, but ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation was there for both of us. Immediately, the ASK Clinic and support staff were with us, and I knew I wasn’t going to do this by myself. They made me feel comfortable and relaxed.”
ASK provided food and gas cards, as well as other financial assistance to Kenya’s family. ASK’s Richmond-based Education Support Navigator, Jon Longenecker, worked with Kenya throughout her treatment to help her keep up in school.
Jon is one of six Navigators stationed at each of Virginia’s five pediatric cancer treatment centers, bridging the gap between hospital inpatient stays and patients’ schools to help them stay on grade level and receive the accommodations they need to be successful. Kenya continues to benefit from ASK’s tutoring services, social events, and connections to community resources that help relieve some daily stress for her family.
"It seems like they know what the families need before we know." - Shaneqka, ASK Kid Kenya's mom
“I think we forget about the emotional support these kids need and ASK is here with events to help lift our spirits,” Shaneqka shares with a smile. “Christmas for our entire family was amazing! It seems like they know what the families need before we know, even if it’s providing cleaning services so we can focus on our child.”
Kenya loves to draw and wants to be a professional artist someday. For now, in the maintenance phase and taking daily chemotherapy at home, she’s back to enjoying the things she loves: arts and crafts, playing board and card games, cooking and baking, reading, solving riddles – and, of course, making others laugh!