Noong si Jess na 16-taong gulang ay inirekomenda sa UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital para sa bone marrow transplant — ang kanyang huling pinakamagandang pagkakataon na mabuhay mula sa leukemia — hinarap ng kanyang pamilya ang isang imposibleng katotohanan sa logistika. Ang kwento ni Jess ay isa sa pambihirang katatagan. Isa rin itong kwento tungkol sa kung ano ang nangyayari kapag tinanggihan ng isang komunidad na hayaang harapin ng mga pamilya ang krisis sa medikal nang mag-isa.
Jess was first diagnosed at age 10, in 2019. For six years, her family – based in Lodi, California – traveled the long road of chemotherapy, hospital stays, and the relentless uncertainty of childhood cancer. When local options were exhausted in late 2025, Jess was referred to UCSF. On December 12, 2025, her mother Pati became her bone marrow donor. It was the most profound act of love, and it came with a cost: both mother and daughter needed months of recovery close to the hospital, while two younger brothers waited at home. That’s when the family’s social worker connected them with Family House.
Pati and Jess arrived on January 2nd, spared the two-hour daily commute that would have drained energy they simply couldn’t afford to lose. What they found was far more than a place to sleep: it was a supportive, caring home. A kitchen to cook in. Laundry machines. Volunteer-prepared meals. Jess’s brothers could visit and stay – close enough for connection, careful enough to protect Jess’s fragile immune system. The family celebrated the holidays together under one roof. Those memories, Pati says, are ones they will never forget.
It feels like home. I tell the friends I’ve met here — you’re part of my family now. Everyone says hello, everyone cares. It means so much to us. – Pati, Jess’s mother
Peek into Jess’s Life
Jess shares her makeup routine and talks about life, produced by Bay Kids Studios. Watch below!
