Octavia’s story: Being a kid first

When Octavia’s hair began falling out as a side effect of her chemotherapy treatment, she didn’t seem fazed. She collected the strands in hopes that a bird would use them to build its nest. Then 5-years-old, she also wasn’t too worried about going to the doctor.

Instead, she looked forward to her weekly visits for treatment at Children's Health℠ – which for her wasn’t so much a hospital, but a place where she got to do arts and crafts and hang out with cute dogs.

“Get to Children’s Health as soon as possible”

Octavia’s parents, Jessica and Silvino, noticed a lump in their daughter’s neck while visiting San Antonio over Mother’s Day weekend. They thought it might be a bug bite but didn’t see a bite mark.

They took her to an urgent care clinic, then a pediatric hospital. The family spent about nine hours at the emergency room, where Octavia had CT scans, ultrasounds and several more tests.

Doctors told the family to schedule an appointment at Children’s Health as soon as possible. They were there the next day, and Octavia was soon diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare childhood cancer that typically begins in a muscle.

A trusting partnership between family and care team

Octavia’s type of cancer required complex treatment that included chemotherapy and proton radiation. Her family knew they had a long road ahead, but felt confident with the team at the Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Health.

“We had other leading hospitals review her case, buteverybody told us we were in a great facility, and to trust Children’s Health,” Silvino says.

Ksenya Shliakhtsitsava, M.D., Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist at Children's Health and Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern, was there for them every step of the way.

She explained that some chemotherapy drugs can damage cells in the ovaries, which could affect Octavia’s ability to have children one day. Children's Health offers several fertility preservation options to help protect a child's future fertility whenever possible. While no option can guarantee the ability to have biological children later in life, these treatments may improve the chances for some patients, depending on their age, diagnosis and cancer treatment.

“Whatever happens, she’s got a shot,” Jessica says.

Her care team put in a port to ensure safe chemotherapy delivery and removed an ovary as a fertility preservation effort during the same surgery. She started her chemotherapy the next day.

“It all happened so quickly,” Jessica says. “But Children’s Health does a great job of making everyone feel comfortable and taken care of. We felt like we had a real partnership with her care team.”

Being a kid first

Octavia liked to dress up to go to the hospital, wearing sparkly dresses or sequined jump suits to her visits. Her family appreciated all of the ways her care team helped her be a kid first and a patient second – like doing arts and crafts and taking her to Seacrest Studios, the hospital's interactive TV and radio production station.

When Octavia was nervous about a blood draw, a therapy dog named Canter came with her.

“Having Canter there made such a huge difference,” Jessica says. “She sat down and, suddenly, she said, “Oh, that didn’t even hurt.’”

The child life team also played a big role in helping Octavia understand the procedures she’d have and the side effects she might experience.

“They’re people who help you when you're feeling scared,” Octavia says.

A child life specialist visited Octavia to talk about the hair loss she would eventually experience, preparing her emotionally ahead of any surprises.

The conversation couldn’t have come at a better time as, the next morning, Octavia woke up to a cluster of her hair on her pillow.

“She handled it pretty well,” Silvino says. “She was kind of excited to see what her head would look like without any hair.”

Shortly after, she and her little brother both got their heads shaved.

Celebrating big milestones

A few days before her sixth birthday, Octavia met two big milestones – she lost her first tooth and received her last round of chemotherapy.

She proudly showed the gap in her smile to her care team. Word had spread by the end of Octavia’s appointment, and they surprised her with a little box for her to store her tooth.

Seacrest Studios staff and Maze, another pet therapy dog, brought balloons and a toy unicorn to her room to celebrate.

About a month later, wearing a dress with smiley faces, Octavia rang the bell to officially mark the end of her treatment.

These days, Octavia is back to school, enjoying drama club and gardening club. She also loves her piano and guitar lessons and is thinking about what she wants to be when she grows up: either a child life specialist or a cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys.

Her family is grateful for the care Octavia received and glad to know that Children’s Health is close to home.

“Every parent wants what’s best for their child,” Jessica says. “Everybody should want their child to have the best possible medical care if they ever need it. We’re really lucky to have that.”

Learn more

The Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Health is dedicated to giving children the latest cancer treatments and caring for each child’s physical, mental and long-term health before, during and after treatment. Learn more about fertility preservation and other programs and resources to help childhood cancer survivors thrive.