ST. PAUL – Jaminah Sanchez was born in 2016. When she was just two months old, she was diagnosed with stage four cancer, neuroblastoma. Following treatment, she survived, much to the joy of her parents – Benjamin and Elma Sanchez.
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Seven years later, in November 2023, Jaminah began complaining about a headache. That headache didn’t go away, and other symptoms began to arise.
Fear crept in for the young family. They remembered that seven years ago, when Jaminah was diagnosed with cancer, doctors also found another condition – Cerebral Cavernous Malformation (CCM). Doctors told the couple to immediately contact them if Jaminah ever suffered from an unusual headache.
CCM is the result of small blood vessels with thin walls that may be present in the brain, resembling “mulberries,” where blood moves very slowly, according to information from the Alliance to Cure Cavernous Malformation. "The thin vessel walls can be leaky, allowing blood into the surrounding brain or spinal cord tissue,” and could potentially cause a hemorrhage, reads information from the Alliance.
Hoping it was just a normal cold or flu, the couple gave their daughter medicine. But none of it worked.
So, they headed to the hospital in St. Paul and also contacted the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, where Jamina had received cancer treatment.
Their fears were not unfounded. It was CCM.
Thankfully, Jaminah’s condition stabilized. But one month later, when the couple was working in the kitchen for their baking business, Jaminah approached her parents. She said her right hand wasn’t functioning well.
“How can I go to school?” Jaminah asked, at the time.
Elma immediately hugged her daughter and Benjamin asked her to smile. That’s when they noticed the right side of her face was not functioning either. An ambulance was called, and they requested the medical staff bring her straight to Stollery, where she was given medication and her condition was again stabilized.
The couple thought the medicine would be enough, but one week later, Benjamin received a call from a neurologist at the children’s hospital. Hearing the voice over the phone, Benjamin shook in fear.
Their daughter needed brain surgery.
Benjamin and Elma have decided to take a break from their well-known baking business Jaminah’s Bakeshop, which is a staple at farmer’s markets across the Lakeland region. They says they want to focus on being with their child.
Jaminah will undergo an operation on Jan. 9.
Speaking to Lakeland This Week on Jan. 4, Benjamin described his current feeling as being “stressed.” He looked over to his wife, who responded with a weak nod.
The situation has created both physical and mental stress. And while the couple is grateful that the surgery is covered by the province’s public health care, there are expenses for travelling, parking, staying in a hotel, and other things related to Jaminah’s condition - like medicines not covered by insurance.
While they have some savings, stepping away from their small business to care for their daughter means they have no income.
“I don’t know how long it will last,” acknowledges Benjamin. “It’s hard, but what can we do?”
Thankfully, they’re not fighting alone. Friends, family members - and even complete strangers - have supported them, and the couple expressed how grateful they are for the support.
Knowing there are people who support them helps the family get through it all. The emotional stress, the mental strain, and the unexpectedness of it all is a hard battle. So, “the kind and positive words... it’s a big help for us,” says Benjamin.
While the family lives in St. Paul, they have become known across the region. A fundraiser in Cold Lake where Jaminah’s Bakeshop is a regular vendor at the farmer’s market, is being done virtually to support the family.
Earlier this month, the Cold Lake Ag Society organized a GoFundMe for Jaminah and her family. As of Jan. 7, the fundraiser had raised $6,500 of a $12,000 goal.
Although Benjamin says he did not want to create a GoFundMe, he has realized that it is expensive to travel and stay in the city for medical appointments.
“So, to everyone, thank you so much for doing this for us,” says Benjamin.
He also thanked God for being with them. While they are scared, the couple says they must be strong for their daughter. Elma smiles, noting that Jaminah is no longer scared of “blood work or needles.”
Benjamin agrees. “When we see our daughter be brave... then we’ll be brave,” he says, fighting back tears.
The couple says that Jaminah wants to be a doctor when she grows up. Jaminah told her parents she needs to be a doctor so she can help sick people, especially children.
