Even if this is your first time meeting 5-year-old Isabella Melgarejo from Phoenix, it’s easy to see she was born to be a star!
But she’s more than just a sparkling personality, a loving daughter, and a pretty face.
KNXV Nick Ciletti: You are so smart!
Isabella: Mmmhmm!
Nick: How did you get so smart?
Isabella: Because I’m just smart!
But as her light shines so bright today, it’s hard to imagine just how dark the past year and a half have been for “Isa” and her entire family.
Isa’s mom, Amanda Lopez, explains they never thought they’d see this much improvement from her as they have in the past year – and for good reason.
She describes it as a rollercoaster of emotions, fearing every twist and turn could lead her spiraling toward every parent’s worst nightmare.
“They let us know there she had a tumor in her stomach,” explains Lopez.
Last year, doctors at Phoenix Children’s diagnosed Isa with a rare pediatric cancer known as rhabdomyosarcoma.
” Did you ever think you’d be at a time where you’d need an oncologist?” Ciletti asked.