The family of an 8-year-old Oakland girl who is undergoing treatment for a rare brain tumor is raising money to cover her medical expenses and, like many people faced with seemingly impossible medical bills, they have started a GoFundMe.
Xiomara Romero, who lives in East Oakland’s Seminary neighborhood, was recently diagnosed with a brainstem glioma, a rare tumor that can cause trouble with breathing, swallowing, balance, movement and vision.
“I felt the atmosphere kind of dim down,” said Jacqueline Hernandez, Xiomara’s mother and full-time caregiver, recalling when her daughter was diagnosed. “It’s an indescribable feeling when you know something’s wrong.”
The diagnosis came after two years of Xiomara reporting headaches to Hernandez and multiple visits to her doctor that were inconclusive.
On April 20, Xiomara received surgery for the tumor, but because the tumor is located on her brainstem, which controls bodily functions like breathing, swallowing, balance, movement and vision, her doctors deemed it too risky to remove it entirely.
Xiomara was able to recover quickly from the surgery, according to Hernandez, but has suffered from occasional leg pain and blurry vision, making it at times hard for her to walk.
On Monday, she will receive an electrocardiogram and a blood test to make sure her blood, liver and kidney are strong enough to receive chemotherapy. If all looks good, Xiomara will start treating the remaining part of the tumor with a combination of chemotherapy and oral medication.
“It’s been a very scary process, discovering this,” said Hernandez. “I never thought in the world would I have to have my child go through something like this.”
Despite fighting a medical battle, Xiomara remains full of joy, with a strong love for dancing, drawing and music. She’s a huge fan, especially, of Michael Jackson, and her mother is in the process of finding the money to buy her a vintage Jackson-inspired outfit.
However, carrying the financial burden of Xiomara’s medical expenses and with Hernandez spending increased time away from work to care for her daughter, the family is having financial struggles. Hernandez reported that her family is now two months behind on rent and one month behind on the payment for their car.
The family is raising money to help pay off these bills and continue supporting Xiomara’s ongoing treatment and recovery.
As of Monday morning, the GoFundMe page had raised $5,230 of its $25,000 goal.
