Mayela recently returned from “the best trip” of her life in the Dominican Republic, where she created lasting memories with her mom and dad before she started another school year.
“I’m happy,” said Mayela, 11, who is in sixth grade. “I have great parents who support me in all I do, and physically, I am doing really well.”
![St. Jude patient Mayela walks on the beach hand-in-hand with her mom and dad](/content/sites/www/en_US/home/about-st-jude/stories/meet-our-patients/meet-mayela/jcr:content/par-1/cnt_image_copy_copy.img.16.medium.jpg/1697038621638.jpg)
In 2018, Mayela was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, or AML. In AML, white blood cells, produced in bone marrow, are abnormal and do not become healthy cells. These abnormal cells crowd out the normal ones so that the patient’s body has a harder time fighting off infection.
It was heartbreaking news. I like to solve everything, but at that moment, it was not in my hands. I could not resolve this situation for my daughter.
Angel, Mayela's dad
![A string of photos held up by clips shows various happy moments in Mayela's life.](/content/sites/www/en_US/home/about-st-jude/stories/meet-our-patients/meet-mayela/jcr:content/par-1/cnt_image_copy_copy__555846764.img.16.medium.jpg/1697037206223.jpg)
Doctors in Puerto Rico referred Mayela to St. Jude where she underwent a bone marrow transplant in August 2018, with her dad serving as her donor. Her parents are thankful for the treatment and care she received.
“I was full of joy and emotion, and grateful for St. Jude,” Angel said about being his daughter’s donor.
![St. Jude patient Mayela studies for school while sitting at her desk at home.](/content/sites/www/en_US/home/about-st-jude/stories/meet-our-patients/meet-mayela/jcr:content/par-1/cnt_image_copy_copy_.img.16.medium.jpg/1697037046488.jpg)
St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. We won't stop until no child dies from cancer.
Mayela finished treatment and now visits St. Jude regularly for checkups. Meanwhile, at home, she keeps busy improving her swimming and her aim in air gun shooting, a sport she recently picked up.
Mayela has also become a small business owner. She makes colorful bracelets with hearts, faces and other shapes, and creates her own soaps with a variety of scents like lavender, oatmeal and honey.
“Everything that Mayela does reminds us how blessed we are,” her mother, Karen, said.
Meet more patients
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Meet Avery
Avery was diagnosed with sickle cell disease soon after birth and she received a bone marrow transplant at St. Jude in early 2023. Her donor was one of her older sisters.
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Meet Misheel
Misheel was diagnosed with brain cancer and was referred to St. Jude, where she has received treatment, which included chemotherapy and radiation therapy. She has refused to let her illness keep her from spreading joy to others.
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Meet Beckett
Even at 2 years old, Beckett was a very verbal child, able to describe how he felt. And how he felt was dizzy. He was also sick to his stomach from time to time, and had developed a head tilt. Beckett was ultimately diagnosed with ATRT, an aggressive form of brain cancer. From that moment on, said his dad, it was “game face.”
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Meet Mila
Mila was found to have both Down Syndrome and a leukemia precursor. She underwent months of chemotherapy at St. Jude for acute myeloid leukemia, but even on days she didn’t feel great, she was smiling and playing.
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Meet Liliana
Liliana is a patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital where she was treated for liver cancer at 8 years old.
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Meet Janelle
When Janelle was just over a year old, her family noticed that she began to regress in her development. Medical tests revealed that Janelle had cancer.
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Meet Yazleemar
Yazleemar is an outgoing and expressive teenager. In 2012, Yazleemar was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare cancer. St. Jude offered more than treatment to her and her family.
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Meet Gideon
After Gideon was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma, he was referred to St. Jude for immediate treatment.
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Meet Felicity
With a diagnosis of 5 tumors in her brain and spine, Felicity is facing a struggle, but you wouldn't know it by the constant smile on her face.
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Meet Charlie
Diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in his shoulder, Charlie was referred to St. Jude then underwent chemotherapy and surgery to replace a cancerous bone with titanium.
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Meet Ava
At 6 years old, Ava had a lump on her neck and tests showed she had more lumps in her belly. Tests revealed that she had a cancerous tumor and was referred to St. Jude.
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Meet Shayla
Shayla started getting frequent nosebleeds, and blood work showed she had acute myeloid leukemia. Read about her treatment at St. Jude.
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Meet Kamryn
At 2 years old, Kamryn's bloodwork indicated he had a form of blood cancer called acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Doctors referred him to St. Jude where he would undergo more than 2 years of chemotherapy while growing to love activities like Music Therapy.
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Meet Luxe
As a kindergartener, Luxe’s legs became so covered in bruises that her parents took her to the doctor. Luxe was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia.
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Meet Eliza
Eliza’s pediatrician referred her to an ophthalmologist after testing her eyes. In turn, she was referred to St. Jude as a tumor was visible in her right eye.