Amazing Girl
Leslie Ramirez is an amazing girl from Bound Brook who was diagnosed with stage four Glioblastoma (brain cancer) in April 2011. Leslie underwent brain surgery, which could not fully remove the tumor. She received radiation, various chemotherapies, and physical therapy. Leslie has dealt with losing her hair, having seizures, surgeries, and missing school and her friends. The hardest part, though, was giving up her passion of competitive dance. From the moment you meet Leslie, you are instantly taken by her vibrant, positive personality and her unending strength and courage.

Diagnosed With Cancer
As soon as Leslie was diagnosed with cancer, her mother became her nurse and her rock. She took a leave of absence from work to bring Leslie to Sloane-Kettering in NYC for treatments and to take care of her in the interim. In August 2012, Leslie’s mother was laid off from her job, causing her to lose the family’s health insurance benefits. Needless to say, they now face monumental financial difficulties.

New Trial
After trying everything possible in NY, her doctor recommended a new trial being offered at The Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. In January 2013, Leslie started the new year at a new hospital with a new treatment. Doctors were new, everything was new, and this was very difficult for Leslie. Every three weeks, she would go to Pittsburgh for treatment. Her family does all they can to make the six-hour drive fun and enjoyable. Unfortunately, right after celebrating her 12th birthday on January 16, 2013, Leslie’s knees started to weaken, and she lost her ability to walk. This was very disappointing for Leslie, as the month prior she decided to go back to dance. She was doing little basic things at the dance, but she was happy just to be on the dance floor. She is now in a wheelchair but takes it day by day and always keeps positive. Her hope and faith grow stronger each day.

Leslie still attends school, even though she doesn’t get anything they teach in class. Due to Chemotherapy and radiation, she suffers from short-term memory loss. Not being able to remember things is very frustrating for her, but she is trying her best.

Love for Dancing
Leslie goes to Sloan Kettering for PT and OT twice a week. Her goal is to be back on her feet soon and be able to go back to dance. Leslie had an MRI in May, and it showed that her disease was stable, allowing her to stay on the clinical trial. The other good news was that she only had to travel to Pittsburgh every six weeks for treatment. Leslie is very happy about this, as she does not like the hospital.