Meet ASK Kid Aliyana

For an exuberant three-year-old, the world is a playground. Life is meant for running, jumping, climbing, and—for Aliyana—spending as much time as possible at the park on the swings and slides.

But for Aliyana and her mom, everything changed when a "phantom" leg pain began to interrupt those playdates.

"It’s hard to advocate for a toddler with a limited vocabulary who can only say that their leg hurts," her mom, Liana, recalls. "She was your typical rambunctious toddler. It just got really concerning when she was struggling to put weight on her leg and didn't want to walk or play."

What followed was a ten-day whirlwind of uncertainty. Initial blood work at the pediatrician came back elevated, but a visit to the ER showed no signs of infection or fever. X-rays with an orthopedic surgeon suggested her bones were fine. The pain would come and go; she would be in agony at home, only to appear normal during an examination.

Finally, when a fever developed, her mother sought a second opinion at a different emergency room. This time, a full workup provided the answer they never expected.

"It went from zero to leukemia in a matter of hours," her mom says. 

Aliyana was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Following her diagnosis, Aliyana’s life was measured in 28-day treatment cycles. "Once we get used to the 28 days, then it switches again," her mom explains. "But overall, she’s in remission. She’s responding well to treatments, and everything is working the way it’s supposed to be."

Through the ups and downs of treatment, Aliyana never lost her "girly girl" spirit. She has discovered a new love for arts and crafts and—thanks to some practice with patience—loves getting her nails painted.

The family was connected with ASK almost immediately after diagnosis during their inpatient stay at VCU. As they navigated the strain of a cancer diagnosis, ASK was there to help bridge the gap.

"ASK has definitely made life better," her mom shares. "ASK has been very instrumental in just letting us know what they're there to help with. Just having that support means so much”.

Aliyana with family

ASK Kid Aliyana

Now, Aliyana is about to reach a big milestone: completing her first year of preschool! She is officially enrolled in ASK’s FIRST-Step Preschool Program in Mrs. Susan’s Owl Class. The FIRST-Step (Socialization through Enriched Play) Preschool Program is a specialized class where our teachers look for both typical developmental milestones and late effects from treatment to help our kiddos get the best start possible and feel prepared for a successful kindergarten experience, with skills like sharing, listening, focusing, and cooperating.

Aliyana’s teacher, Mrs. Susan, reports, “Aliyana is delightful! We can always count on her to bring zeal for learning, compassion for classmates, and the cutest giggle to preschool each day. We often hear Aliyana singing a little tune such as ‘Months of the Year’ or 'Days of the Week '. It has been wonderful watching Aliyana grow socially, developing friendships with classmates, emotionally, acquiring greater confidence in her abilities, and academically, weaving her past knowledge with introduced information and applying what she knows to new situations.”

On May 20th, she will officially complete her first year of preschool, and we can’t wait to see her back in the classroom in the fall!