Ella

Remembering Ella C. Lopez

May 5, 2020 ~ June 24, 2023

Ella was diagnosed with Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor (ATRT), a rare and aggressive cancer of the central nervous system. These tumors are commonly found in the brain stem, which governs basic body functions, and the cerebellum, which controls movement and balance. In Ella’s case, the tumor was located in the cerebellum.

The Early Battle

At just nine months old, Ella began to get very sick, experiencing vomiting and a loss of balance. She also developed what appeared to be Torticollis, but was actually the tumor growing large enough to push her head to the side. On February 26, 2020, after suffering a seven-minute seizure that required intubation, Ella underwent emergency surgery to remove the mass. Two weeks later, she required a second surgery for a shunt due to fluid buildup, as well as a procedure to repair her stitches from the extreme pressure the fluid was causing.

A month after receiving her shunt, Ella began the first of five rounds of chemotherapy. Between treatments, she endured multiple small procedures and three line infections that nearly landed her in the PICU.

A Test of Resilience

Following chemotherapy, Ella completed five and a half weeks of radiation. While she handled the radiation well, her lungs had suffered significant damage during her chemotherapy rounds. Medical teams noticed her lungs needed increasing amounts of time to recover each time she was put under anesthesia.

On January 14, 2022, Ella was hospitalized with a fever and breathing difficulties, eventually facing lung failure. She spent eight weeks intubated and three weeks on ECMO life support. After a total of 12 weeks and four days in the hospital, she was finally able to go home. Though her lungs were slowly recovering, she required oxygen, an NG tube for feeding, and multiple medications to help her heal.

On July 27, 2022, while her lungs were finally improving and she was off oxygen most of the time, an MRI unfortunately revealed that the cancer had returned in her lower back. This led to further surgery and radiation. 

By January 2023, the cancer was discovered once again, this time in her upper back. Because it was caught early, surgery wasn’t required, but she began another round of radiation. There were deep concerns with the treatment being so close to her lungs, but the hope was that she would remain stable and stay off oxygen while starting a different chemotherapy treatment plan.

A Warrior’s Rest

Throughout her treatments, Ella’s lungs remained a constant struggle. She seemed to be a magnet for viral infections, and each time she got sick, her lungs that had never fully recovered from the previous failure would react badly. They slowly got worse over time. Her family and medical team constantly battled inflammation and breathing issues, eventually learning that the left side of her lungs was beginning to fail again.

On June 24, 2023, Ella’s body could not take any more. She is now resting after a courageous two-and-a-half-year battle.

"Our little princess fought long and hard, but her tiny body could only take so much. Rest in peace, little warrior. We love you forever, Sugar Bear." 

~ Ella's Family