PHOTO BY PAULA MULLER
Cancer patient Justine Brazil embraces her mother Iliana Arzola. Justine is receiving treatments for skin cancer.
BY MICHELE DURGIN
Justine Brazil is a typical 3-year-old.
She loves to dance, adores her mother and Chuck E Cheese, the kid-friendly chain known for its arcade games, pizza parties and mouse mascot. She wears big bows tucked into her light brown curls and giggles her way into the hearts of all those around her.
Justine also has skin cancer.
When Iliana Arzola noticed a mole on her daughter’s left shin last fall, she made an appointment with the family’s dermatologist who confirmed the skin disease.
Justine has undergone several surgeries and began treatment to fight the cancer. Arzola has helped her daughter endure the frequent injections for the treatment, the body aches and upset stomach that accompany them.
Once a week, Justine visits Massachusetts General Hospital for lab work, dressing changes and appointments with social workers and others.
“After this treatment is over we will hold our breaths,” Arzola said. “It will become a wait-and-see game. We will continue to hope and pray for the best everyday.”
As she receives treatment, Justine’s family and friends are rallying to her side and in support of her mother and brothers, Jeremiah, 11, and Armani, 9.
“We are grateful and blessed to have so many people loving us and praying for my baby,” she said. “My co-workers at Greater Lynn Senior Services (GLSS) have been especially wonderful. They send food to our home all of the time.”
She has taken a month off from her job as a benefits coordinator at GLSS to devote herself to Justine. Without a regular paycheck, Arzola is relying on a GoFundMe account established by relatives and friends to help with expenses.
“Help Justine Fight Cancer,” as the site is called, lists $5,000 in donations as the goal. At press time, more than 100 people have donated nearly $8,000.
“I have two other children and life cannot just stop,” she said. “We must go on and hope that this is the cure. We live with it and we do the best we can. My prayer is that all of this is behind us in a year and Justine is a healthy little girl with a bright future. And maybe, just maybe, we can plan a family trip to Disney World and celebrate.”
