A Bit of Background
Sofia was four years old when she was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Thanks to the doctors at both Baptist Children’s Hospital and Miami Children’s Hospital Sofia survived and went through a year of chemotherapy. Eight months into her treatment she had heart failure which was initially thought to be viral. Unfortunately, it was actually caused by one of the chemotherapy drugs (the anthracycline Adriamyacin) used in her protocol. While Sofia was able to overcome that initial bout and live a full life for several years, the damage was done.
On March 14, 2012 she was admitted to the hospital with an ejection fraction of 13% with the hopes that the medications that had saved her before would again perform their magic. Unfortunately, her heart simply gave out and on April 3, 2012, almost a month after her 13th birthday, Sofia passed away.
Even as a little girl, Sofia was always looking to understand and analyze the world around her and to learn the deeper truths. Sofia was born an “old soul” and the epitome of wisdom, insight and perception. She understood her illness and all its implications and always hoped she had not only won the battle but the war. She faced the possibility of death better than most people three to four times her age.
She was an amazing daughter, an incomparable sister, a loyal, unconditional friend and a loving family member. She was shy at first but had a great sense of humor. She loved English horseback riding and the challenge of both dressage and show jumping. She is missed each and every day!!!
Sofia's Story
Why Sofia's Hope
In January 2007, to commemorate Sofia’s two years off treatment, her mom, Marta and her aunt, Vicky, ran the Disney Full Marathon through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program, raising thousands of dollars for cancer research. The day before the race, Vicky gave Marta a running top with the words, “Sofia’s Hope”, on the back. She told her that what had helped her train and what would keep her running 26.2 miles was knowing that raising awareness and funds for cancer research were Sofia’s hope. It was then and there that the seed for Sofia’s Hope, Inc. was planted.
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