Angelica's story

Angelica shared her story on WOAI SA Living Show
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The Greatest Gift

Early in her life, Angelica Estrada always knew the importance for donating blood. Her dad was a regular blood donor, giving his B positive blood to the community every eight weeks. Passing on his blood drive gifts to Angelica, she always wore oversized blood drive T-shirts to sleep. But the greatest gift he would ever give her was a second chance at life.

Growing up, Angelica was an active child, playing the trumpet and drums in the school band and dancing folklorico. Music and dance were her world. Academically, she was always ahead of her class.

Antonia Estrada, Angelica’s mother, recalls her kindergarten teacher asking, “Do you know your numbers up to 100?” Angelica replied, “No. I know up to 300.”

For the Estrada family, life was normal until Christmas break 2007 when Angelica started experiencing headaches. Tylenol eventually stopped helping and her headaches persisted. One night during dinner, as Angelica laughed with her family, she sank her head into her hands and began to vomit.

“Something’s not right,” Antonia said.

That night, Antonia rushed Angelica to the hospital where a CAT scan confirmed the worst: a brain tumor the size of an orange. Antonia recalls the drastic change in her doctor’s tone.

“He did a 180,” said Antonia, “from happy to serious. He said ‘you have to be strong for your daughter.’”

Angelica was immediately admitted to the hospital. As she waited for surgery that night, doctors woke her every hour to make sure she was still alive. They feared Angelica would fall asleep and never wake up again.

The next morning, doctors placed a temporary shunt in her head to drain some of the excess fluids caused by the tumor. Angelica then underwent a 13-hour-long surgery, but doctors were able to remove only 90 percent of the growth. The surgery left her unable to walk and with no control over her left eye or arm.

February marked the beginning of the road to recovery. Angelica started rehab treatments to regain control over her body. Six weeks of radiation treatment would follow, then chemotherapy.

During her chemotherapy treatments, Angelica’s dad would donate blood as often as he could. However, times came when she needed blood and it was too soon for him to donate again. The Estradas turned to the community blood supply. In a year’s time, Angelica received about six blood transfusions and four platelet transfusions to help her body through the harsh treatments.

It was a long year for the Estrada family. However, on February 28, 2009, there was a new light of hope for Angelica and her family. She finished chemo and celebrated her 15th birthday in March.

The blood donated from the community helped save her life. If not for generous community donations, Angelica might have never made it to her 15th birthday. With the help of blood donations, she has the rest of her life ahead of her. She hopes to attend UTSA and become a pediatrician.