Over the course of three days in May of 2019, Rosana Ponte de Lara received two pieces of the worst news any mother could get. Her 7-year-old son Francisco was diagnosed with leukemia. The doctor told the parents that if they wanted to save him, they would have to get him out of Venezuela because there was no way to treat him there.

To buy air tickets to the United States, where Francisco could get treatment, the family quickly sold its cars and everything else it owned of value.

But on May 15, 2019, the trip that could save the child’s life was suddenly blocked. The United States shut down all flights from Venezuela because of the chaos in that country. The family received this second piece of news at the airport.

“Everything was tears and screams,” Ponte said, remembering the scene at the airport, which took the family by surprise. The airline was telling passengers they could not board the flights.

The family, which is from Puerto Cabello on Venezuela’s northern coast, was trapped between personal and political dramas. The only answer was to look immediately for another way out, this time a flight to Colombia and from there, a flight to the United States.

The scramble was worth it. Two days after arriving at a cousin’s home in Broward County on May 18, 2019, Francisco was receiving treatment for the cancer at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, one of the top children’s centers in the area.

“When they told me that my son had leukemia, I felt my world had ended,” Ponte told el Nuevo Herald in an interview for Wish Book.

Wish Book, an annual project by the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald, seeks community assistance for families like Francisco’s. He received chemotherapy every two weeks and has to go to the hospital almost every day to undergo tests or receive treatment for the side effects. Hispanic Unity of Florida Inc., a nonprofit that helps immigrants, nominated the family for Wish Book.

“I had a job at Dollar Tree, but I had to miss it almost every day because of something, and I had to leave,” Ponte said, speaking from the hospital where Francisco is being treated. Recent tests showed his blood levels were off, and he had to add antibiotics to his medical regimen to increase his protection amid the pandemic.

Because of his delicate health, Francisco will not be able to get the COVID vaccine immediately, Ponte said. She added that when the chemotherapy makes him throw up, he recovers quickly and resumes his normal life.

“I give him Gatorade and he goes on,” said Ponte. “You see him and no one believes he’s sick. He’s very optimistic, and pretty sharp.”

Help with the rent and food

Francisco loves to play basketball and dreams of meeting LeBron James. He also loves the Avengers, wants a PlayStation and has asked Santa Claus to bring him a lot of gift cards so he can buy video games.

But he will not be able to walk into a store. At best, he’ll use the cards at a Taco Bell or Burger King drive-through because he cannot run the risks of personal contact, said Ponte.

Today, the family of five, living in a Tamarac apartment, cannot afford to meet the wishes of Francisco — although a neighbor loaned him a PlayStation, the video games he wants cost about $60 — or his 6-year-old sister Paola, who loves Barbies. They have more urgent payments to make, like the rent, electricity and especially the high cost of the special foods that Francisco requires.

For now, the only one working is the father, who leaves home early in the morning and returns 12 hours later. Ponte’s mother, Rosalba, 64, is always ready to help but does not drive. Ponte said she wants to work but can’t because she’s the one who drives Francisco to his appointments and, when necessary, the emergency room.

Any help they can get now is critical, because they are waiting for an appointment to clarify their immigration status. Until that’s settled they cannot apply for assistance such as food stamps.

Luckily, Francisco qualified for Medicaid, which covers his medical costs, but there are always extra costs, Ponte said.

“Francisco is in third grade. He reads perfectly in Spanish and is improving his English,” said Ponte, who is looking forward to the opportunities he will have in this country.

HOW TO HELP

Wish Book is trying to help hundreds of families in need this year. To donate, pay securely at MiamiHerald.com/wishbook. For information, call 305-376-2906 or email wishbook@miamiherald.com. (The most requested items are often laptops and tablets for school, furniture, and accessible vans.) Read more at MiamiHerald.com/wishbook.

This story was originally published December 7, 2020 at 6:00 AM.