Viviana is a vibrant, fun-loving 2-year-old with a big personality. She loves to dress up in cute accessories and adds magic to every day. Unicorns are her favorite thing, in addition to anything sparkly and purple! Her ability to brighten up a room and unwavering positivity always inspires her parents.

Viviana was experiencing lingering respiratory virus symptoms and on-and-off fevers for about a month before her parents knew she had cancer. She also had bruises on her legs that they assumed were from the playground, but she then began to look pale and lost some of her appetite and signature energy. After noticing petechia on her body and broken blood vessels in her eyes, her parents knew something was wrong and took her to the ER. Her initial blood test showed strong evidence of blood cancer. Viviana was transferred to University Hospital’s Rainbow Babies that night where she was officially diagnosed with B-Cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Today, her laughter is still contagious while she is in the midst of treatment. After she reached remission, her family moved to Arizona and she is now being treated at Phoenix Children’s. She still has about two years left of chemotherapy to prevent any relapses and keep her in a remission state. The frontline part of her treatment has been a challenging road, but Viviana has faced it with bravery and resilience.

Viviana is a hero to her parents because she is so strong and never gives up.

“The way she bounces back quickly from tough procedures and treatments is so inspiring,” her mom, Alissa, said. Her parents hope that she keeps doing great throughout her treatment and that she can live a long and happy life cancer-free. Viviana’s dreams and goals are as big as her heart, and her family cannot wait to see what she does with them. 

Her parents want other families to remember something Viviana practices every day: positivity is key. They were inspired by the positivity they found in the mission of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) and decided to help raise funds for childhood cancer research. 

Recently, Viviana’s loved ones held a lemonade stand in her honor that included a special visit from their local police force and a pizza food truck. They even served “Sparkling Purple Unicorn Lemonade” in celebration of their hero. The event raised more than $12,000 for ALSF with support from all over America!

“We are so happy to be able to give back through ALSF and fund research so that every child has the chance to beat cancer!” Alissa said.

Viviana is excited to keep pushing forward and doing what she does best: making others smile. 

“I am strong and brave! I will beat cancer!” -Viviana

Information provided by Alissa G., Viviana's mom
Updated September 2024