Hello to EVERYONE! We love and appreciate you ALL... Now the story about RisingRaya (her nickname) Za'Raya is a talented, smart, intelligent, beautiful spirited 10 year old girl, that LOVES to sing, dance, read books, make other's smile & happy... She has dreams of one day having herself a shelter (she loves to giving & helping) it's truly in her heart ❤ shes also been diagnosed with (ALL) Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, and that's when our lives changed... February 28th, 2016 Za'Raya had been complaining of a sharp pain in her side. When I examined her there were many small bruises, redness to her mouth, skin, eyes & even urine, she could still walk & talk but i just felt it was time to get my child to the hospital.. It hurt my heart to see her laying there like that, in her soft voice I heard her say 'Mom help me please, this doesn't feel right' that bout kilt me hearing, I immediately started rushing getting us out the door, cab was taking to long, bus was pulling up i was like okay, were taking the bus, hospital was just down the street so to the ER we went... As we road bus there, she talked to me about how good the bus felt (the air) she still did complain about pain when trying to move her body... We soon arrived to the hospital, took forever for her to be seen, but she was finally seen i explain to the nurse everything, she explains to the doctor, he comes in takes a look at Za'Raya &(concerned about the small bruises and redness to her skin) it appears she's been beat on (said the doctor) beat on? First thing & only thing you can come up with, really (me) well that's not it...My child has not been beaten on, & i would never! There is something VERY seriously wrong with my daughter, trust me, I know my child (i said) doctor well okay, I'll send another doctor in here to check her over as well and we'll go from there Ms Blunt... Doctor #2 comes in, checks Za'Raya, he says the same thing, looks like the poor child has been hit on... No no no, she has NOT! (I said) i had gotten irritated by now and started saying take her urine, check her blood, run test, SOMETHING because I know my child is NOT right & I have NOT beaten on her... Please!! I couldn't believe how i was talked to, treated & not taking seriously, I was extremely embarrassed and humiliated, but i didn't care i just wanted to know what was wrong with my daughter... A urine sample got done finally (very little) but enough to check & diagnose her with a UTI, a nurse was to take blood, she was unable to take blood three different times in the SAME spot, and just gave up when she couldn't get blood off that same spot, Zaraya was in more pain & her arm was like a reddish & purplish color, and HURT very bad, as it did nothing but swell up... I complained about that to the doctor, he then turns to me & say 'Ms Blunt we im doing what i can but what do I want him to do' because everything seemed fine with her (Za'Raya) he said ill tell you what, ill do an x-ray and go from there... Getting xray done, was told I see what's causing all this (dr said) Za'Raya has pneumonia and a UTI... We then got prescriptions & antibiotic for pain and to cure her UTI...Finally ready for discharge (the dr felt) (I felt she should had stayed) but Za'Raya did say her pain went away for the moment (thanks to the pain medicine) i remember asking for a cap voucher back home, nurse said she'll ask the doctor, doctor told her they don't do that, so taking bus back home, we make it home, Walgreens across the street is currently closed due to it being Sunday, that night didn't get any better after though... February 29th, 2016 with more bruising developing around her mouth, legs & arms, her eyes just blood shot red, she had went to the bathroom on her self, she was so hot & sweaty would have thought she was in a pile of water, things STILL just wasn't right with Za'Raya... As a Mother, i just knew something else and more was wrong with her... I cried, prayed and talked to God that day please guide me Lord! Please Point me into the direction to get corrected answers for my childs well-being because I just know something is NOT right... It was hard times for us around that time, but i was NOT giving up there... I went looking up the best hospitals on Google, looking to see which ones had great reviews & stars, came across MUSC and that's where we went to that day, I got my babygirl to MUSC they were so respectful & very helpful to US (we had only been there in South Carolina for a month) when we entered the hospital, Za'Raya could barely walk about this time, they offered a wheelchair, offered water & even checked on us time to time til we were called back to a room... Nurse came in right away doctor came in right away too, I explained everything to them as far as her symptoms, she was having I also showed them the bruises that were on her I also let them know about the discharge papers from the first hospital we went to, and just to hear that doctor say Ill check her over, look at skin and get her taking care of made my day... He checks her over, i can't remember what he called the bruises (here was a name for them) he also told me that they can be caused by the platelets being low, so he wanted to do some test/lab work, take blood & check her over thoroughly...His exact works, we will take care of her... And that he'll look at my paper work after we see whats wrong with the kido... ALL i've been wanting to hear them last couple days... EVERYTHING the doctor did he talk to me through it & he explained to me very well to where i could actually understand it all... Hours, hours & hours go by, we finally have answers, lots of doctors in uniforms & some not in uniforms, comes into Za'raya room (my heart is about ready to stop now) I don't see Za'Raya (still in other room) a dr sits me down and says we have to talk to you Ms Blunt, first thing they asked me who told you that Za'Raya had a UTI or pneumonia? I said the first hospital we went to before coming here, I have discharge papers right here, you can take a look... I asked why do you ask me that, the doctor soon starts talking and tells me that because we didn't find that Za'Raya has a UTI or pneumonia, we actually found that Za'Raya has leukemia cancer, my heart has completely stopped at this time, I JUST went dead (literally) I didn't even know what leukemia was, but I knew it was something serious and I knew something serious was wrong with my child and that was one reason why I never gave up... Za'Raya was immediately hospitalized at MUSC & diagnosed with ALL. That day is where OUR lives changed & Za'Raya cancer journey began, undergone multiple surgeries, spinal taps, multiple transfusions, hospital stays and chemotherapy that she is STILL currently receiving EACH month... After going through all this & that still she rises and that is where she gets her nickname Rising Raya...Thank you all...