On December 28th Giulli started not feeling well. So we went to the pediatrician. He said she looked great and was running around - but wanted us to admit her to the hospital because she wasn't drinking and she was having diarrhea. So that is what we did. Later that day labs were drawn. And they were off. Not extremely high - but not exactly "normal" her white count was 15,000 - so the doctors tried to figure out what was causing it. She was tested for everything and anything. She had spinal taps. Blood draws. X-Rays. All without sedation. Ultrasounds. Scans. Nothing was found. They consulted with the university in Germany and decided to send us there to the oncology floor. 

All of the doctors (even oncologists) told us they DONT think it is cancer, because she looks great! Well after a few hours and a bone marrow aspiration, they called us back in- on January 3, 2014 Giulliana was diagnosed with standard risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and began treatment the following day. 

She has received a dozen spinal taps with intrathecal chemo, Iv chemo, oral chemo, bone marrow aspirations, two surgeries for line removal and line replacement. 

On January 16 2014she went into remission - her marrow had less than 1% blasts. 

She had to repeat a phase in her treatment because in the 1% there was still a little leftover leukemia (mrd) and to help prevent relapse they repeated some chemo's and she did another bone marrow aspiration. 

On June 16 2014 Giulliana was officially cancer free! Her bone marrow came back negative for any leukemia cells!!! ️️ 

Giulliana still has 9 months of treatment left. Where she will take oral chemo daily. And oral chemo weekly. A monthly iv chemo and spinal taps with intrathecal chemo. She was also receive steroid pulses. 

We cannot wait for the day that she is done with chemo. The word "cured" doesn't come into the picture until 5 years from the day she is done with treatment!