WE have heard about sibling rivalry, but this is a compelling story about sibling love. For the love of her sister, Kelsey Cabralis, a cancer patient, seven-year-old Kianna Cabralis is making the ultimate sacrifice to save her life.
Kelsey, 12, desperately needs a bone marrow transplant. Kianna has turned out to be the perfect match.
Their mother, Candice Moraldo, told Sunday Newsday on Friday there was no need to persuade Kiana to be Kelsey’s guardian angel, once the procedure was explained to her.
“She told me, ‘If I can save my sister’s life, I will do it.’" Moraldo and her daughters, who live in Tunapuna, spoke in a phone interview.
In spite of her own discomfort, anxiety and pain, Kianna was on board with all the probing and tests to give Kelsey a new lease on life.
“I love my sister. I want her to live. I want her to get better so we can play together. She is my best friend,” Kianna said.
“I want to save my sister. We have fun when we play, but she is too sick to play with me now. I want her to get better. I want to save her life.”
Eternally grateful for the sacrifice her younger sister is willing to make, Kelsey said she too wants nothing more than to live so she can fulfil her dream of becoming a doctor.
“I want to get better. I want to be a doctor, to help children, especially children like me, who are suffering from cancer,” Kelsey said.
She said her sickness has motivated her to want to be a doctor. Her mother said that may take some time, as her illness has kept her out of school for lengthy periods.
Her education is now on hold as she is unable to attend physical or online classes. The pending surgery would mean another six months for recovery.
Both girls are students of Tunapuna Girls' RC Primary School.
Moraldo said Kelsey was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when she was just two years old.
She went into remission several times, but relapsed at age six which kept her in the hospital for several months and out of school for almost two years.
Three weeks ago, Kelsey, a standard four student, suffered a third relapse.
“Since November last year, she had been complaining about headaches and was vomiting a lot. We went to the emergency department, but three times they told me it was migraine, period symptoms and, on one occasion they even took a pregnancy test," said Moraldo.
“Three weeks ago, a Monday, my mom took her back to the hospital. The Sunday before she told me, ‘Mummy like I am going blind. I cannot see.’ She was weak, vomiting like crazy. She was losing weight drastically, getting so thin all her collar bones were showing.”
She said that Monday, when Kelsey’s grandmother took her to the Just Because Foundation (JBF) clinic at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex Mt Hope, she demanded to see a consultant.
“My mom said she did not want to see any house officer because something was wrong with Kelsey which needed specialist attention.
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