Ezra Salinas, Age 5

In Honor of Jonah Salinas (Brother)

Mature B Cell Lymphoma

Ezra was only four when his big brother Jonah was diagnosed with Mature B Cell Lymphoma-too young to fully understand how scary that time was for our family.

One day, while Jonah was at Children's Wisconsin for a procedure, his grandparents cared for the kids and explained how strong Jonah was, and how special it was for them to be supporting him through such a difficult time.

When we came home, Ezra looked at us and said, "Jonah is my hero!" Just when we thought we didn't have any more tears left, he reminded us of the pure love and strength that carried us through.

Jonah's Journey (Told by Mom) -

Jonah was eight years old when he was diagnosed with Mature B Cell Lymphoma. During the summer before his diagnosis, he sounded very "stuffed up." For weeks we tried everything to treat what we thought was a stubborn nasal infection or allergies. Nothing worked. His breathing worsened, and he began experiencing headaches and mouth pain. Our pediatrician referred us to Children's Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

At our first visit, the ENT-who we will forever be grateful for-immediately recognized something was wrong. I'll never forget his words: "Mom, I know you're hoping this will be an easy fix, but what I'm seeing in Jonah's nasal cavity is abnormal." Though he didn't say the "C" word, I knew where this was headed.

A biopsy the following week confirmed our fears: Jonah had a golf ball-sized tumor in his nasal cavity, the cause of his pain and pressure. As hard as it was to hear, we were grateful to finally have answers and to begin treatment immediately.

Initially, his oncologist expected 6-8 months of chemotherapy, but Jonah responded so well that treatment lasted just under six months. He missed a lot of school and sports, but we were blessed with a gift we'll never forget-he didn't have to be inpatient for any holidays. We were able to celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas of 2021 together as a family of seven.

Today, Jonah is cancer-free and thriving-an energetic, happy 9-year-old boy who loves life and continues to inspire everyone around him.