Jessica Y. Quintana

JESSICA YVETTE QUINTANA

3/7/1990-12/5/2011

21 years old

Our angel has left us, but her legacy should continue to live within us!

J is for the Joy you gave us

E is for the Enthusiasm you had for life

S is for how Special you were

S is for how Strong you maintained yourself

I is for your Innocense you had

C is for how Caring you were

A is for Amazing beauty you carried inside

IN THE DARKEST OF THE NIGHT

I SEE A STAR SHINE

THAT STAR IS

IT IS YOU THE SHINING LIGHT

THE SHINING STAR OF MY LIFE.

SURVIVED BY:

Rocio, mother

Jose, father

Mina, grandma

Roxanne, sister

Marian, sister in law

Azaleah Gwen, niece

Jaime, stepfather

A Mothers Story

My name is Rocio Flores Folgar, I am the mother of Jessica Quintana. My daughter Jessica was the most wonderful person I can talk about since she was so well oriented, sensitive, and strong!! I can go on and on, of course, I’m her mother, but if you know Jessica, you will agree with me all the way cause she would bring a smile to everyone when she walked into a room!

Jessica was 21 years old, she was born on March 7th, 1990. At the age of 8 months old, she was diagnosed with a disease called Neurofibromatosis Type 1, also known as NF1. NF1 is considered a rare disease. One of every 3,000 children are diagnosed with this disease. The characteristics of NF1, which Jessica was diagnosed with are the Café au lait spots all over her body on her skin. NF1 has many different characteristics, which Jessica presented a few.

Even though some patients have the disease, they can live a normal life with little or no symptoms. This was NOT Jessica’s case. At the age of 15 years old, Jessica started having Chronic Pain Syndrome. At the age of 18 years old, while attending Pierce College, going to school to try a career working with animals, her lifetime dream, Jessica had severe pain on her right leg, she ended up being hospitalized on September 22nd, 2008 at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. School was put on hold, which greatly affected her! During the hospital stay, she was diagnosed with a Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor (MPNST). Which is a cancerous tumor on her nerves. She underwent, Chemotherapy, Radiation, and Surgery! In the process she had various hospitalizations, bleeding problems, breathing problems, low blood counts, blood and platelet transfusions and so on! After 7 months, she was finally on Cancer remission! Due to this, I lost my job and started to struggle financially. Family and friends were there for support. I never went back to work because it was very difficult, trying to work and trying for Jessica to recover first and then doctor’s appointments were very frequent. I would not be able to hold on to a job with so many appointments. At the time of Jessica’s last treatment, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. As a mother and a daughter I was struggling, physically, morally, and financially, but we managed somehow. Jessica’s Chronic Pain Syndrome became more of a problem as time went. At the age of 21 years old, on June of 2011, she started with pelvic pain. She underwent surgery to remove, what a doctor thought was a Pelvic Cyst. He had to stop in the middle of surgery and informed me it was something he did not recognize, and this was an Gynecologist, Oncologist specialist. She was transferred to Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. C.H.L.A is the hospital where she was followed for her cancer and for her NF1. After a few studies, it was found out she had another MPNST on her pelvis. She had surgery to remove it, a week later another one was found on her chest, 2nd surgery 1 ½ weeks later to remove the chest area one. Doctor said no Chemotherapy was needed, cause it was found that Chemotherapy would do nothing for these types of tumors. After a 2nd doctors visit, and after a few scans, another 3 MPNST were found, one on her left thigh, one her left ankle, and one on behind the pancreas. Jessica was devastated, as her mother, you can imagine how I felt, but Jessica always made a point of letting me know that she would keep on fighting this disease. At this point, my financial status is worsening! After a few hospitalizations for pain control, other scans was done, and on my birthday, yes, my birthday October 7th, I was told and scans were showing several tumors on different parts of her body, at this point Jessica did not want to know any more. My silence was my way of showing her my love. On October 7th, 5 tumors were seen. On the 14th of October 2011 her last hospitalization for pain control has been the hardest one, since then it was times of ongoing stress, bad news, and severous sad meetings with doctors.

When I walked into her room, I was the strongest mom alive. I lived to see her smile, I tried not to bother her when she was resting, I tried to be mom when I had to, and a friend at other times, I also played the role of being her wacky and goofy mami to make her smile. When I walked out of her room, I felt like the world was looking at me, and that i would the only one going thru this rough time. On November 10th, 2011, a few hours after Jessica had a CT scan done, I had a meeting with her doctor, to let me know her cancer was spread all over her abdomen area, and on her lungs, she also had a tumor on her throat. The time has came when i had to make decisions for her, those tough decisions nobody wants to make for their own children. My daughter did not live long after that, she died on December 5, 2011 at 2:35am. I was there, I saw her die. Never, never in my life i imagined that i would see my baby, my Jessiquita, my world, go in the way i saw her go! She struggled on her last days, but her smile, her trademark, was still with her until the last few hours of her life. A few hours before her passing, she asked me in a low low voice, "mom, do you love me", it ripped my heart apart, and of course, i gave her kisses all over, her hands, her nose, her cheeks, her hair, her forehead, and answered back to her, "momma, my baby, i love you more than anything, i love you too, i love you a lot, and everyone loves you a lot", and after she heard those words, she had some calm and peace in her, somehow I know that was a way of her saying her goodbyes! I LOVE THAT GIRL so much, her memories we made that last week, i will cherish forever, as she got to meet some favorite famous people in her life. NOBODY, NOBODY, can understand my suffering of not having her in my life. She knew my love for her, and i knew her love for me!! MY SWEET DEAR LOVING ANGEL, my tomato nose, my tinkerbell, my handy, my bunny teeth, in your forever sleep you are, but i do promise i will always and forever you will stay with me. I LOVE YOU MY GIRL, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!