Looking at Johanita laughing, crawling and playing, she looks just like any other toddler who is simply enjoying life.
But this normal scene is the most precious sight her parents could hope for because the toddler went through several trials just to get back to this sense of normalcy.
You see, Johanita was just coming from a two-year battle with cancer. It’s a battle that she thankfully won, but it wasn’t easy and wasn’t achieved without a lot of sacrifice from her parents, particularly her father.
Watch her beautiful laugh in the video below.
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Video credit: Rumble
She had been diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumor at the tender age of one and has gone through numerous tests and treatments which included chemotherapy.
What made the struggle both harder and the victory sweeter was that Johanita and her family live in South America. This meant that the treatments were very expensive and often hard to source. Just the medicine alone put an almost unbearable financial strain on the family.
This prompted Johanita’s father to work two full-time jobs that required him to travel just so he could pay for the medical bills. What pained him the most was needing to spend weeks away from his family at a time because of his job, knowing that he was missing out on precious time with his daughter that could be her last. But he had no other choice because the family needed the money that gave his daughter a fighting chance of surviving.
At the start of the treatment, doctors gave Johanita a 10% chance of survival. The doctors also did their part for Johanita and she managed to reach an important milestone: her third birthday.
This was important because, at that age, Johanita became eligible to receive radiation therapy. But before that could begin, they needed her medication to first stop the growth of the tumor or even shrink it.
It was, therefore, a huge relief when Johanita’s parents found out that the medication was effective enough for the little girl to begin radiation therapy.point 243 |
Several weeks of therapy left the brave girl sick and exhausted but it was all worth it because at the end of the treatment, doctors declare Johanita free of cancer and the MRI confirmed that the brain tumor was no longer there.point 187 | 1
Johanita regained her strength once the treatments ended and her happy personality began to shine through again. She became more active and started smiling and playing with her family.
Parents would do anything and sacrifice a lot just for the sake of their children. Johanita’s story is proof of that. Her story is also one of hope and that both hard work and prayers can accomplish the most beautiful miracles.
Replaced!