Hoover Student to Undergo Bone Marrow Transplant

For all the smiles and joy at Briseida Madrigal’s 11th birthday party on Feb. 17, one wouldn’t think that the little girl had to say goodbye to her friends and family for 100 days. On Monday, the fifth grader from went to the Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. Briseida is betting her life on a bone marrow transplant from her nine-year-old brother, Alex.

After undergoing chemotherapy three times in the last nine years to fight leukemia, this last treatment was unsuccessful and her family had to resort to an operation that has an 80 percent chance of success.

Her sisters Brenda, 15, and Hilda, 18, said all they can do is pray.

“We just have to think positive,” Hilda said. “We’re just praying to God that everything goes well.”

The family has been hit hard, with two family members having to undergo two operations. Nine-year-old Alex is excited at the chance to save his sister’s life. But the enormous responsibility had taken a toll on his well-being during the past few months. Rothengast said he had trouble concentrating in school and would often cry. His older sisters said he was stressed, causing weight loss.

“I’m scared for him because it’s going to hurt,” Briseida said, forgetting about the painful 100-day journey she herself has ahead. “But he’s going to help me live longer and never have it again.”

Alex explained, “The doctors are going to sleep me, poke me, and it’s still going to hurt a little bit.” With a big bear hug for his sister, he added, “But I’m really close to her and she’s going to get better.”

The entire school has also rallied to support Briseida. At her birthday party at a friend’s home, Hoover Principal Amanda Rothengast and her math teacher, Mike McAdams, were also in attendance to show their support for the always enthusiastic student.

“I just had to be here before she went to the hospital,” Rothengast said. “We had to show our support.”

She explained that Briseida always wanted to do her homework and that when she starts the slow recovery process, they will slowly bring assignments to her.

To show solidarity with Briseida, McAdams also shaved his head. Briseida and her classmates took turns having a go at their teacher’s hair.

At school, counselor Tania Velaquez explained Briseida’s situation to her classmates in a simple, yet accurate, way so they could understand what was happening with their friend. She used marshmallows so students could visualize what would happen to Briseida’s body during the operation.

Community members have all contributed in any way they can. Briseida’s single mother had to accept the generosity of a classmate’s mother when the mother offered to host the birthday party. Cramming dozens of party attendees in the Madrigals’ cramped apartment in which all of six of them share one bedroom would have been an impossibility.

The across the street from her classmate’s, Paloma Guerrero’s, home has placed a box with her photo asking for donations.

And Paloma has all the faith in the world that everything will come out okay.

“I’m scared, but she’s going to come out better,” Paloma said. “Then we’re gonna party!”

Hoover Community School is accepting cash donations for the Madrigal family. Donations can be mailed to:

Attn: Principal Amanda Rothengast

Hoover Community School

701 Charter Street
Redwood City, CA 94063