Welcome to My Personal Page
Welcome to my Personal Page!
I am thrilled to be a part of the 8th Annual Hope & Heroes Walk on Sunday, May 21st, 2017 to support children with cancer and blood disorders and their families.
On May 27 2015, we were affected directly by pediatric cancer when our little princess Katherine with only 18 months old was diagnosed with AML leukemia (cancer). This unexpected diagnosis was a reminder of how unpredictable life can be. We could not believe the diagnosis went from a harmless "cold" virus to a life-threatening disease. It was a very, very scary moment, for us but we were not about to give up on our little princess. Kathy was always a happy and healthy baby. Our life changed so drastically. One day we were at the zoo having fun as a family, the next day we were at the New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital Oncology Department discussing what procedures Kathy had to go through in the days to come. It was overwhelming knowing that our little princess had to go under anesthesia to get biopsies, chemotherapy, radiation and the placement of a PICC line (catheter that goes under the skin directly in a mayor vein) in her chest.
It was the beginning of a very difficult journey, full of ups and downs and many changes. My wife took a leave of absence from her job to stay at the hospital with Kathy. Our younger son Krys stayed with “Abuela” and would come to visit and play with Kathy on weekends. I continued to work for weeks although with a heavy heart, to support our home. I would come spend time everyday after work, then go back home to our son. Although Kathy was sick, she never stopped smiling! She had the most beautiful smile! Even through the worst moments, we felt blessed. Even though she could not understand much of what was going on, somehow she knew she had to be brave. She became mommy and daddy’s little warrior for months to come.
Sadly, after the first round of treatment, the doctors realized that Kathy was not in remission. As unique as she was to us, so were her genes. Her chromosomes had mutations that doctors had not come across, there was no case like this in the medical database. Many doctors around the world were informed and there wasn't anything out there that could provide a specific protocol to help her case. This made it very hard for the doctors to find medicine that was right for her. After 3 rounds of chemotherapy, 6 rounds of intrathecal (chemotherapy in the spine) and 3 rounds of radiation, the Leukemia and Chloromas (conjunction of cancer cells) failed to go away. When there was nothing left to do, as parents we had to make the very difficult decision to stop treatment and take our princess Lady K home. For the rest of the time, we dedicated ourselves to creating even more happy memories together. Instead of sadness, we gave her joy. Instead of crying, we gave her laughs. And, instead of sorrow, she received our relentless, unconditional love.
Thursday, October 22, 2015 after a journey of 149 days, 24 days before her 2nd birthday our princess Katherine took her last breath as my wife and I held and confort her on our arms. On that day we became the proud parents of one of heaven’s little angels, a soul too precious for this earth. This meant no more pain, no more doctors, no more medicine, and no more suffering for our precious Lady K. Though we grieve the loss of her beautiful, strong-willed, silly, charismatic, and loving presence, we are compelled to reach out to families who find themselves in similar situations. We testify to the fact that this arduous journey would have been even more difficult if not for the tremendous support we have received. Our hearts are and will forever be grateful for those who played the role of being the silver lining in our cloud. In sharing our story, we wish that our precious Katherine continues to touch as many lives as she did while in our presence.
In loving memory our daughter Katherine Alexandra we would like to help by fundraising for Pediatric Cancer research. We hope that no family loses a child to cancer because there is no information to help with a cure. In general out of all donations given towards cancer research only 1% goes to Pediatric Cancer research.
The Loving Parents of Katherine,
Keymer & Gabriella Segura
With your help, Hope & Heroes can continue supporting the patients, programs and research at the Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology & Stem Cell Transplantation at Columbia University Medical Center. The Division, located at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, is one of the largest and most distinguished centers for children with cancer and blood disorders in the country. They are depending on us to make sure their unique programs are available to all the children they treat and that their scientists keep working until they find a cure.
Please give as generously as you can - or consider joining my team and walking with us. The Walk takes place at beautiful Pier 84 (West 44th St. at the Hudson River) and is an inspiring and fun day for the whole family.
