JACQUELINE RODRIGUEZ: I am a normal human being that has health issues like everyone else.
JACQUELINE RODRIGUEZ: My name is Jacqueline Rodriguez and I am 16 years old.
EVELYN BELEN: Jacqueline was born in 2001. They told us that she had a condition. They
are now calling it lymphatic malformations. It is abnormal cells in her lymph node activity
and these cells just want to exist in her cheeks and her tongue and the floor of her mouth.
EVELYN BELEN: When I was still pregnant with her, they were telling us that our daughter’s
quality of life would be poor. She may not make it to see her first birthday.
EVELYN BELEN: They gave us a choice to end the pregnancy or continue. We chose life.
EVELYN BELEN: They have tried to excise some of the tumour. It’s just kept coming, growing
back. We have been working with doctors to control the growth of her tumour. Before it
was just growing and growing and causing her a lot of discomfort.
PAUL RODRIGUEZ: At first she couldn’t even swallow. We had to give her formula through
her G-tube. Her tissue relaxed enough where she was starting to be able to swallow just
a little bit but she kept working and working it. And then, now she use, now she puts
down her formula and I thought she would pass.
JACQUELINE RODRIGUEZ: My parents help me by being my parents and try to make my life as
normal as possible.
EVELYN BELEN: The tumour has affected her vocal cords where she doesn’t really have
a voice. She has an iPad where she could use her speech program quickly to communicate
and show us what she is thinking.
EVELYN BELEN: I was the one who hated taking her out in the public because I didn’t like
people staring at her. And it was my son who said, ‘Mom, you know, it doesn’t bother
her as much as you think,’ and I realize that now.
JOSHUA RODRIGUEZ: Not many people can say that their life expectancy was less than a
year at birth but is now, like, thriving at, how old is she? 16!
ANNA BELLE RODRIGUEZ: 16!
ANNA BELLE RODRIGUEZ: Yeah, I am so proud of Jackie, like, especially with her recent
accomplishments of playing guitar. Like, each time she is, like, learns a new song she is
so excited to show us.
JACQUELINE RODRIGUEZ: I like playing my guitar and playing tennis. I start playing tennis
last year and it was a great year. Tennis helps with my confidence by knowing that I
am strong enough to play a sport.
EVELYN BELEN: Being a part of the tennis team and having those girls, make her feel like,
just, part of the team.
PAUL RODRIGUEZ: Part of the team. Yeah!
JACQUELINE RODRIGUEZ: I like hanging out with my teammates. We are about to go bowling soon.
EVELYN BELEN: She likes to help. She likes to help anybody. She is very good at wanting
to babysit even or entertain kids.
PAUL RODRIGUEZ: Or take care of elderly people.
EVELYN BELEN: Right!
JACQUELINE RODRIGUEZ: I want to be a nurse because I grew up in a hospital helping my
nurses take care of others.
ANNA BELLE RODRIGUEZ: Jackie is a good example. Everyone should be like Jackie because she
doesn’t care what anyone thinks. If she sees something she wants to do, she will go
out and do it, like, you can’t tell her no. Like, if she sets her mind to it, she
will try her best to achieve it or accomplish it in any way.
EVELYN BELEN: Now that she is achieving and, you know, her self-esteem has just blossomed.
It’s just incredible and I just didn’t think we’d be here at this point and I am so grateful.
I am so grateful.