Meet Olivia, 2022 Kids Day Ambassador
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Olivia is happy and healthy today, playing like any typical five-year-old -- a stark contrast to what her life was like just a year ago.
"She wasn't eating, she was sleeping throughout the day," says her mom, Virginia Maynez. "She was having hot sweats at night, fever."
In early 2021, Olivia was admitted to Valley Children's Hospital following constant complaints about tummy aches and a lack of energy.
Virginia knew something was wrong but was horrified to learn little Olivia was diagnosed with a Stage 4 Wilms tumor -- a type of childhood cancer that starts in the kidneys.
"She had a 15-centimeter tumor on her right kidney and it traveled to both her lungs and filled both her lungs with small tumors," she said.
Olivia's road to recovery included nine-months of chemotherapy and some radiation -- until doctors at Valley Children's Hospital determined she is cancer-free.
This brave little girl turned five years old in October and will serve as this year's Kid's Day ambassador.
RELATED: Kids Day 2022 benefiting Valley Children's Hospital
For Olivia's family, Kid's Day and what it represents is much more than just a fundraiser.
"The gratitude I have for all of them, they made the whole stay and the whole journey so much lighter," Virginia said. "I never felt alone. Even though it was during the pandemic, there was no visitors, we were never alone."
Thanks to Valley Children's Hospital, Olivia is enjoying life as a healthy child once again.
Generous support continues to help the hospital's mission to care for children.
For the third year in a row, Kid's Day is going digital after raising more than $300,000 in 2021.
"It's giving us a chance to achieve that margin of excellence and care," says Valley Children's Healthcare Foundation President Rob Saroyan. "Whether it's recruiting the best or acquiring the best in terms of technology or providing that care at the bedside and those immediate needs that we really need to take care of today."
Donations to Kids Day support the Children's Fund, which helps Valley Children's Hospital give sick and injured kids the best treatment possible.
ABC30 is a proud sponsor of this event.
