Scarlett’s Magical Moments

Scarlett was diagnosed with B-cell acute lympho-blastic leukemia when she was just 3 years old. The treatment experience was debilitating, and Scarlett often bore the pain and distress in silence. For Scarlett’s mother, Dawn, one of the most incredible things about children battling cancer is that underneath all the pain and fear and discomfort, they’re still children.

“They still want to play, they want to dress up. They want so desperately to have what all kids have: that time to be the sole focus, to just laugh and play and be a child. And there just are not that many opportunities for a child who’s living in the hospital to have normal experiences.”

Dawn says that the care she received at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals from the pediatric oncology team and the nursing staff were second to none. “But medical treatment was just one piece of the healing puzzle,” she reflects. “Child life, music and art therapy, gave Scarlett these precious, magical, simple moments of joy and laughter that were just amazing.”

In addition to delighting in child life activities – many of which are not covered by insurance – another opportunity for joy came through Moment by Moment Photography, a local nonprofit organization that has been volunteering at our hospitals for the past two decades, providing free portrait sessions to families of children with life-impacting illnesses.

When Scarlett heard that she was going to have a photo shoot, the exhaustion of treatment gave way to the thrill of getting camera-ready. Scarlett prepared a dazzling outfit featuring her most sparkly accessories and practiced poses in the mirror.

“It was an opportunity for her to be seen as a subject of joy and beauty and not a triage patient all the time. And the photos are just a beautiful testament to her joy and her strength."

Now 6, Scarlett recently celebrated one full year in remission. “What’s amazing is that despite all the trauma she went through, she holds on to the attention and care she received. We couldn’t be more grateful,” Dawn says.