FOR MORE THAN A YEAR, Saphrona McLennon had been seeking answers from doctors about why her daughter, Zoefia Alexandria, was struggling with balance and appetite. When the 2-year-old’s legs buckled under her in January 2016, McLennon rushed her to the emergency room near their home in New York City.
Doctors discovered the toddler had a rare type of brain cancer called pineoblastoma, and she immediately had surgery to remove the tumor. The next few years of treatment included chemotherapy, radiation, three stem cell transplants and multiple clinical trials, but the cancer kept returning. Zoefia died at age 6 in December 2019.
Throughout those four years, the mother-daughter duo had a motto: Make every moment count. “We just lived each day like it was the last,” McLennon says. When Zoefia felt well enough, the two went cherry picking, visited amusement parks and took a trip to Hawaii. While Zoefia was in the hospital, she and her mother spent time coloring, playing with modeling clay and celebrating holidays. “Honestly, it doesn’t matter where you are, as long as you’re together,” McLennon says.
When accompanying a child to cancer treatment, parents typically don’t have time to pick up food or personal hygiene items, according to Saphrona McLennon, executive director of the Zoefia Alexandria Foundation. She recommends supporting caregivers by providing care packages filled with practical supplies, such as paper towels, bodywash, deodorant, shaving products and toothpaste, as well as ready-to-eat meals like microwavable noodles or soup.
To help the families of other pediatric cancer patients enjoy time together during treatment, McLennon started the Zoefia Alexandria Foundation in April 2020. As one of its many programs, the nonprofit gives out backpacks loaded with toys and activities to keep children entertained while they are in the hospital. It also provides caregivers with packages of toiletries and food so they don’t need to leave their child’s side to run to the store. The organization distributes these items to local hospitals and can ship to individuals across the country. Families can request care packages through a hospital social worker or via the foundation’s website.
Toys and activities can help children with cancer have fun, even if they cannot leave their hospital room.
Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and stem cell transplants, can compromise a child’s immune system, so many children receiving treatment cannot leave their hospital room. However, toys and activities help ensure they can have fun no matter where they are. If you are selecting gifts for children with cancer, Zoefia Alexandria Foundation executive director Saphrona McLennon says, ask them about their favorite things and choose items based on their interests. Popular options include toys like building sets and cars, apparel from the child’s favorite sports teams, and activities like card games and coloring books.
McLennon says it has become her mission to help children with cancer squeeze in moments of joy with their loved ones amid the harsh reality of treatment. “It makes them happy, puts a smile on their faces, and if I’m able to do that, I’m content,” she says.
Cancer Today magazine is free to cancer patients, survivors and caregivers who live in the U.S. Subscribe here to receive four issues per year.
