The gentle tinkle of the brass bell inside a small conference room at Kaiser Santa Clara on Jan. 17 did not do the enormity of the event justice. As two-and-a-half-year-old Lucy Nguyen clutched the too heavy bell in her small hand and shook, her parents, My and Lawrence, embraced, pressing the small toddler between them as tears clouded their eyes.
The enormity of the situation seemed to be lost on Lucy’s five-year-old sister, Mila, who stood in front of the trio waving a plastic clapper and making as much noise as she could to join in the celebration.
Lucy’s bell, while small in auditory impact, was monumental in its symbolism. It was a meaning that the family, friends and care specialists gathered in the room understood all too well. Lucy’s cancer was in remission.
Lucy was diagnosed with leukemia at just seven weeks old.
“It was really hard,” said Lawrence. “We made a lot of sacrifices, especially my wife, not missing appointments, living in hospitals for an extended period of time, lots of late emergency visits, especially with feeding tubes and things like that, coming in and out. But our daughter, Lucy, has been so resilient, so brave. She’s so amazing.”
For My, it’s a relief to arrive at this point after such a long journey. She felt as though she could finally take a deep breath, something young Lucy happily joined her in doing.
“I just had a loss of words,” said My. “No parent ever dreams that your child will have cancer, but every parent who has a child with cancer can’t wait for the day that they ring the bell. We’re just so grateful.”
“Feels like the best day ever,” said Lawrence.
And while Lucy may be too young to remember her battle, My knows her youngest daughter will be just fine.
“She’s a fierce one. Nothing will bring her down. Even in her hardest days, she still puts a smile on her face. And that puts a smile on our faces, and it just makes things a little bit easier,” said My.
From cousins to aunts and uncles and grandparents, Lucy was surrounded by loved ones when she rang her bell. Some of My’s coworkers, who work at the pharmacy at Kaiser Santa Clara, were also there.
“If we could shut the pharmacy down, we’d all be here,” said pharmacy leader Chris Oliva.
Lucy’s care team was also present, some of them taking just a minute out of their time with other patients to high five or hug Lucy.
Wendy Celaya, the certified child life specialist who worked with the Nguyen family, said that because of My’s connection to Kaiser, this bell ringing felt extra special.
“I think we treat every family that comes in … I always say, is part of our KP family forever, but this was a different level because she was already started out as our family,” said Celaya.
Dr. Sheila Thanpi was also on Lucy’s care team. She also found a special place in her heart for the little girl.
“She’s feisty. She is spirited. She lets us know how she feels,” said Dr. Thanpi. “She’s adorable, and she’s so fun seeing her every week. Every time she comes to clinic, we’re always excited to just play with her and see her.”
And it’s days like these that offer up the best reward.
“This is the absolute best part. This is why we do it. To be able … I mean, I know it’s a difficult journey that they go through, and we like being a part of it, but getting to celebrate with them that we’re here is gives us such reward,” said Dr. Thanpi.
While Lucy will have to check in with Dr. Thanpi every three months for the next two years, she is now free to do all of the things her family has had to put off. That includes traveling, running wild and tackling preschool.
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