Newswise — 'Cancer’ is a depleting word to anyone who is experiencing or has experienced those six-letters. It is a life-changing word that can often define a person for worse or better. To 12-year-old Juan Moreno, he chose the latter. This word has defined him as resilient, determined, accomplished and an amazing kid who is defying all odds.
Juanito, as most friends and family call him, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at the age of six. ALL is a type of cancer that affects the blood, bone marrow and immune system.
“I took him into the local clinic, because he looked pale and his stomach was hurting,” said Gloria Moreno, Juanito’s mother. “It was there when I knew something was not right. My motherly instincts said I needed to take Juanito to a hospital. Not knowing where to take him, I jumped on the metro and gratefully found Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.”
The two would spend the next two weeks at CHLA learning about his disease and the next two years battling it together. Juanito always took it in stride and never complained about his treatment.
“When he began to lose his hair, I was the one who cried, not him,” said Gloria. “He just simply said, ‘Less hair to deal with.’ Additionally, it helped that his idol, Adolfo Bautista, Mexican football forward for the Chivas USA, was also bald.” Juanito’s humbleness was also noticed by his physician, David Tishler, MD, Division of Hematology and Oncology at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles: “Life has meaning to him; He doesn’t sweat the small things, because he has seen the bigger picture.”
Although Juanito is now in remission, Gloria said that this experience is a “wound that has not healed,” which is why when he expressed his desire to run the 2014 L.A. Marathon, she hesitated. “I have wanted to run the L.A. Marathon since I was 11-years-old,” said Juanito, who picked up running as a hobby—a sport that seemed unattainable just a few years ago.
“It does not surprise me that Juanito is running a marathon,” says Gina M. Escandon, RN, Juanito’s primary nurse at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “But to move past all the side effects of chemotherapy and run is amazing.”
Soon, Juanito’s journey to the L.A. Marathon became a family effort as his older siblings, Vanessa Moreno, 15, and Fidel Moreno 17, decided to join alongside their brother. They began training like any other athlete with a Monday through Friday schedule of three to four miles per day. “As a coach for 10 years now, never have I seen the drive and determination on a runner the way I have in Juanito,” says Herber Marquez, Juanito’s running coach at Academia Avance Charter School. “Every step, every mile of the 6-month training program was a challenge to him, but he persevered and pushed on forward. The self-will and discipline he demonstrated was a positive and contagious one!”
As the day of the marathon drew close, he shared his thoughts on what drives him, “Many people said I wouldn’t make it, because of my age and the cancer. I am determined to prove them wrong.” That day, Juanito crossed the finish line in 4 hours and 46 minutes with a mix of happiness, relief and courage. “The journey of making running my passion and getting to the L.A. Marathon represents all the obstacles I have endured in my life. I’m glad I never gave up.”
A month after he completed the 2014 L.A. marathon, Juanito plays in the HBO Playground on the campus of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, smiling and laughing with his brothers and sister. From the joyful energy, one would have never guessed that he is a cancer survivor and now, a marathon runner, but when asked which he would describe himself with, he proudly says, “I am a marathon runner.”
Juanito hopes to one day run in the Boston Marathon, compete for the USA Track and Field Team and use his story to inspire other cancer survivors to never give up.
About Children's Hospital Los Angeles Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital on the West Coast and among the top five in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. Children’s Hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
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Media Contact: Lorenzo BenetOffice: 323-361-4823Email: [email protected]
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