Texas Children's Hospital celebrate two child cancer patients being cancer free

Child cancer patients ring bell celebrating being cancer free

One-year-old Sophia Gomez and 30-year-old Nicole Longoria were both treated for neuroblastoma and are now cancer-free. FOX 26's Melissa Wilson and Photojournalist David Lanier visited Texas Children's Hospital to speak with both families and the hospital staff.

HOUSTON - One-year-old Sophia Gomez and 30-year-old Nicole Longoria were both treated for neuroblastoma at Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Center. Sophia is now cancer-free after a year of treatment, while Nicole celebrates almost three decades post-treatment.

2 celebrate being cancer free

Timeline:

Sophia's journey began with a hard stomach at 10 months old, leading to a cancer diagnosis. Her father, stationed in Korea, flew home immediately.

Nicole's treatment occurred 27 years ago, and she now returns to ring the bell, as that has become a recent tradition and wasn't available when she was a child.

The backstory:

Neuroblastoma is a rare childhood cancer. Sophia's cancer spread to her bones and bone marrow, requiring multiple chemotherapy cycles. When Nicole was a little girl, she faced a 20% survival chance but defied the odds.

Nicole was also told that she would never be able to have children, but she is now relieved and thrilled to be a mother of three. She met up with Sophia's family to show them how hopeful their daughter's future is.

Ringing in hope

What they're saying:

"About a week ago, when we saw results showing that Sophia had no evidence of disease, we all screamed and celebrated and called the family. Then, we got to celebrate again with them in person with the bell ringing," shares Dr. Jennifer Foster.

"At first, it felt like everything was crashing down," says Makayla Gomez.

Little Sophia stayed strong through it all.

"If you saw her every day, you wouldn't know she ever had cancer," explains her dad, Anthony Gomez.

"It's a big accomplishment to survive this disease with no long-term side effects. I'm telling everyone with this disease to not give up hope. That's important," says Nicole Longoria.

Her mom tears up.

"I just want to hug all the patients and tell them, it'll be okay. We were in their shoes," states Laurie Galvan.

Why you should care:

This story highlights the progress in childhood cancer treatment and the hope it brings to families facing similar battles.

Big picture view:

Advances in treatment have significantly improved outcomes for neuroblastoma patients, offering hope and inspiration to families worldwide. 

Local perspective:

Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology continues to treat even the rarest of cancers, providing cutting-edge treatment and support.

What's next:

Sophia's family looks forward to a future without cancer, while Nicole continues to inspire others with her story of survival. Little Sophia loves to play in water, and her family can't wait to take her to water parks and the zoo now that she's feeling better.

Dig deeper:

For more information, visit:  

• https://www.texaschildrens.org/departments/neuroblastoma-program
• https://www.texaschildrens.org/departments/cancer-and-hematology-center
• https://www.texaschildrens.org/cancer-awareness