In July of 2017, while most children were out enjoying the South Texas sunshine, three-year-old Rose and her mother, Jewel, had just received life-changing news. An unusual diagnosis put a sudden halt in the inseparable pair’s summer plans.
Two weeks prior, Jewel noticed Rose was experiencing pain and issues with her bowel movements. Typically a bubbly, expressive toddler, Rose was not behaving as her normal self.
“She’s such an energetic child. As a mother, I just knew something wasn’t right,” said Jewel.
After noticing a small red bump on Rose’s buttock, Jewel took her to a local clinic where doctors explained Rose had a small perirectal abscess and it needed to be drained.
Rose was referred to The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio for the procedure. Dr. Ian Mitchell, pediatric surgeon at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, scheduled an outpatient surgery to drain the abscess.
“I was worried, but the doctors reassured me that it was typically a quick procedure,” Jewel said. “I immediately felt at ease and knew Rose was in the best hands.”
Dr. Mitchell made a tiny incision and realized the mass was solid – not an abscess – and it needed further testing. Jewel and Rose returned to The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio a few days later for a follow-up.
A biopsy was performed to determine if the mass was cancerous; Dr. Mitchell surgically removed the mass immediately. Results from the biopsy revealed Rose had cancer. The diagnosis was an extremely rare perianal rhabdomyosarcoma, a malignant tumor formed in muscle tissue around the anus. Although there are approximately 450 rhabdomyosarcoma diagnoses each year, the location of Rose’s cancer was unusual and rare.
“I had never seen perianal rhabdomyosarcoma in a child this age. Rose’s case was very uncommon,” explained Dr. Mitchell. “Less than a handful of children are diagnosed in the United States annually, and many of us had never seen a case like this, but I was confident this was something our teams could handle.”
A team of physicians, nurses, Child Life specialists and associates throughout the hospital worked together to provide the best comprehensive care for Rose’s treatment plan. She went home after surgery with a few small stitches and an implanted port for future chemotherapy treatments.
“Rose underwent several months of chemo. She’s an incredible kid and brought so much joy to our days,” said Dr. Timothy Griffin, section chief of hematology/oncology at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio and professor of pediatrics for Baylor College of Medicine. “She has recovered so well. My hope for her is that her health stays as great as it is now.”
Rose was declared cancer-free on September 27, 2018 and is still in remission today.
She has a larger-than-life personality and wants to be a movie star when she grows up. Her family is looking forward to celebrating the one-year anniversary of her clean, cancer-free scans.
“None of this was easy. It’s the scariest thing for a mother to hear your child has cancer, but because of the incredible care Rose received, she is not afraid of her check-ups at the hospital,” said Jewel. “Rose has always believed the physicians and medical teams are all her beloved friends; she trusts them. They treated us like family.”
Thanks to dedicated donors like you, Rose is on her way to stardom.
Did you know September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month? Consider celebrating Rose and all of our little fighters with a gift: ChildrensHospitalSAFoundation.org/donate
CHRISTUS Children's Foundation 
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