Rachel Ciraldo

Pride. Admiration. It would be impossible to adequately describe how Nick and I feel when we see Luca thriving, when we see his pure happiness, when we see his motivation, and when we think about how his cancer experience has shaped all of our lives. Now, our daily “battle with cancer” is more about living with its side effects.  We are learning how to advocate for his needs-how to understand how long term survivorship isn't just about making life as normal as possible. It's about understanding that chemotherapy affects your body for life.  It's about understanding that people with disabilities, whether you can see them or not, deserve the same opportunities as those without disabilities.  It's about accepting that  living a “normal” life will always take extra work. Nick and I can only hope that the world will forever be accepting and that Luca will have the confidence in his abilities to recognize and ask for what he needs. 

Today, Luca is a math and science lover, a fierce reader, a Minecraft wiz, and guided by the desire to do good and make the world a better place.  He is learning American Sign Language in high school and loves to fish, kick the soccer ball, imitate his parents and all their wonderful traits, and cuddle with his two dogs, Julep and Gus.  He is remarkably observant of the world around him, specifically the injustices that shape part of the society around him. 

With this pride and admiration, I am always reminded of St. Jude, and how we wouldn't have our boy without them.  

My fundraising goal for the nationwide movement to honor Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is $5000. Your donation is used to support my family and other families like ours that live with cancer and its long term side effects.  Families like ours never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – so we can focus on helping their child survive.  

For each donation of $100 or more, we will enter you into a raffle for a beautiful gold and garnet necklace made by a local jeweler, Amay Jewelers, valued at $900+.

Thank you so much for your support!