MEET THE SUPERKIDS
In partnership with Rady Children’s Hospital, Padres Pedal SuperKids is a special program that brings children who are currently in cancer treatment together with Pedal teams of participants who ride, fundraise and celebrate in their honor. Teams and families form meaningful bonds that transcend the event and bring inspiration and hope to everyone involved. These brave young cancer fighters have a one-of-a-kind experience on event weekend as they rally together with the entire Padres Pedal community and are recognized on the field at Petco Park!
Below is a list of important dates for the 2018 year:
- Saturday, November 17 – Padres Pedal the Cause: All children and families are encouraged to join in the fun of ride weekend. Participate in games and entertainment on the field as you cheer your team across the finish line at Petco Park.
Bella, age 5
Team: Team SeaSpin’rs
Sarah, age 9
Team: Team NuVasive
Aritzve, age 5
Team: Sempra | SDG&E
Soledad, age 12
Team: Bill’s Angels
Martin, age 3
Team: Teen Team
Gideon, age 7
Team: ThermoFisher
Hannah, age 7
Team: Team Hannah
Travis H., age 14
Team: Team Resilients
Angelina, age 7
Team: Bill’s Angels
James, age 5
Team: REVolution
Against Cancer
Myer, age 6
Team: Oceanside
Glasstile
Jace, age 5
Team: Bill’s Team
Zainab, age 3
Team: Padres Pedal Staff
Caden, age 10
Team: Team BD
Cash, age 4
Team: Immunotherapy Foundation
BELLA
Team: Team SeaSpin’rs
Diagnosis: Brain tumor
Age: 5
Favorite foods: Pizza, Mac & Cheese
Favorite activities: Making faces and dance parties
Fun Fact: She is very shy but, as she becomes more comfortable, she turns into a comedian!
Bio: Bella was diagnosed with a brain tumor in March 2014, and had to immediately have 2 brain surgeries only 3 weeks apart. When Bella’s mom, Angelica, realized that the full right side of her body was very weak, it was determined that Bella needed to start chemotherapy. She began a regimen of 16 months of chemotherapy and finalized her last treatment in June 2015. She was then stable and in remission for one full year – her family finally started to breathe easy.
After a year of being in remission, Bella’s mom started noticing the right side of her body getting very weak again – she would fall down and favor her left side. This time, the weakness even started to affect her vision. Angelica took Bella back to Rady Children’s and they received the heartbreaking news that the tumor had returned. Bella immediately had to start chemotherapy again in August 2016. This time, Bella’s treatments have been not quite as intense, but she is still back at Rady Childrens’ every 2-4 weeks for chemotherapy.
Bella has a 9 year old sister named Lisset and 7 month old little brother named Sebastian. She is very shy but as she becomes more comfortable she turns into a “comedian,” and her favorite TV show is Peppa Pig.
SARAH
Team: Team NuVasive
Diagnosis: Burkitt Lymphoma
Age: 9
Favorite activities: Soccer, piano, art, Girl Scouts, science, and hanging out at the beach
Fun Fact: Sarah helped to create two programs at Rady Children’s Hospital that bring together young, isolated patients to connect with each other
Bio: Sarah is 9 years-old and is the middle child of three girls. She enjoys a close relationship with her older sister, 12 year-old Arianna, and her younger sister, 5 year-old Julieta, as well as her sweet puppy, Ace! Up until Fall 2017, Sarah was a regular girl, excited about entering the 4th grade and participating in her favorite activities: soccer, piano, art, Girl Scouts, science, and hanging out at the beach. However, in early September, Sarah began to experience a myriad of unexplained symptoms that had the family concerned. Multiple blood tests, MRIs and EEGs revealed no abnormalities, but they remained vigilant as our gut instincts knew something was not right.
On October 10, 2017, a CT scan revealed that Sarah had Lymphoma. Specifically, Sarah was diagnosed with a very rare, high grade stage 3 Burkitt lymphoma of the intra-abdominal lymph nodes. The cancer had originated in her pelvis with two large masses and had quickly spread, through her blood, into her lymph nodes, her head, and behind her eyes. The days and weeks following her diagnosis were a blur – Sarah’s treatment plan was necessarily aggressive and included surgeries, blood transfusions, chemotherapy, and lumbar punctures. The side effects of her treatment were staggering as she endured hair loss, infections, significant weight loss, fevers, and severe fatigue. Amazingly, on January 26, 2018, the Lozaz received the best news: Sarah was in remission. While she still has several months of maintenance chemo to weather, Sarah is finally able to see the light at the end of the tunnel and is looking forward to a time when she can return to her life as an active and energetic girl.
Sarah’s spunky, daring, and strong-willed personality has continued to shine, despite all of the difficulties she has had to face. Her family, friends, and treatment team at Rady Children’s Hospital have been wowed by her spirit and strength. While in-patient at Rady Children’s, Sarah noticed that many of the children at the hospital were isolated and unable to connect with other young patients, either because it was too risky for them to leave their rooms or because they were too shy to do so. Sarah and her mom came up with two wonderful programs aimed at allowing kids to connect with others who are similarly situated. The first idea, “CHAT with Champs,” places walkie talkies on the counter at the nurses station. Kids can freely come up and grab one to begin to chat with others. The second idea, “Get to Know You Jenga,” was conceived after Sarah noticed that children were often very reserved and hesitant to initiate a conversation even during organized social gatherings at the hospital. Sarah used a label-maker to add fun questions to each block in a Jenga game with the hopes that it would serve as an ice-breaker and prompt children to engage and feel more comfortable with their peers. Both programs have been great successes and have allowed Sarah and others to connect with fellow warrior kids facing tough challenges. Additionally, Chat with Champs is now a non-profit organization and is working to bring these programs to more pediatric hospitals, because no child should fight cancer alone. Sarah is so thankful to God for her miracle and grateful for her amazing oncology team at Rady’s Children’s Hospital. We are forever thankful for the support and love of our family and community friends as we could not been able to do this without them.
ARITZVE
Team: Sempra | SDG&E
Diagnosis: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Age: 5
Favorite foods: Strawberries, spaghetti
Favorite activities: Singing, free stylin’ and dancing
Superhero: Spiderwoman
Fun fact : Aritzve loves creating makeup tutorial videos and also she loves dancing and performing for a crowd.
Bio: In the fall of 2016, Aritzve had ankle pain that was getting increasingly worse. Her pediatrician treated her for a sprained ankle, but the pain never went away. When she stopped walking on Christmas Eve, Aritzve’s parents took her to the local emergency department where she received an X-ray and lab work, but was still treated for a sprain. In March, she was referred to Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego where she saw and hematologist and was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She immediately began treatment and today, is in remission. Aritzve is learning to walk again with physical therapy, and is expected to fully complete treatment in June 2019.
SOLEDAD
Team: Bill’s Angels
Diagnosis: Wilm’s tumor
Age: 12
Favorite activities: Watching YouTube videos
Fun fact: She loves unicorns!
Bio: In the late fall of 2016, Soledad began having intense stomach pain. In December, she was diagnosed with Wilm’s tumor, a rare cancer of the kidneys that primarily affects children. In January, the tumor was removed and Soledad started chemotherapy and is currently on her second half of treatment. She is a 12-year-old with a heart of gold who is caring and friendly, and whose strength inspires everyone around her.
MARTIN
Team: Teen Team
Diagnosis: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
Age: 3
Favorite activities: Pool, beach, and just being on the water
Superhero: Dusty the Plane from the movie Planes
Fun fact: He thinks Dusty is his brother and had a Dusty cake for his birthday!
Bio: In October 2017, 3-year-old Martin seemed to have very low energy, looked tired all the time and was cranky. His parents couldn’t understand why suddenly it was so hard for him to participate in the activities he used to love, like soccer and play dates with friends.
They took him to the doctor where he was diagnosed with pneumonia, but when they noticed broken blood vessels on his belly, Martin’s pediatrician told them to go urgent care as soon as possible. In urgent care, doctors discovered that Martin had low platelets and he was transferred to Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego where, two days later, he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, medium risk.
The treatment began with steroids, and other medicines that were rough on Martin’s small body. He was weak, showed little interest in activity and rarely smiled. After two months of intensive, Martin was in remission. Today, he is doing great and everyday teaches his family lessons on how to be strong, and how to live with a smile on their faces, even when fighting a tough battle.
GIDEON
Team: ThermoFisher
Diagnosis: acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Age: 7
Favorite Food: potstickers
Favorite Activity: Building legos, nerf gun wars, playing video games
Superhero: Batman
Fun Fact: Has his own bat cave
Bio: Gideon was diagnosed at the age of 5 with a very high risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He is true to his name, a warrior that lives with strength and positivity inspiring others to be brave and happy. He is an affectionate little man known to comfort the other kids as well as pulling pranks on all of the doctors and nurses, a true love for making people laugh and feel loved. Gideon will continue his faily treatment until he is 9 years old and is already planning a big end of treatment celebration!
HANNAH
Team: Team Hannah
Diagnosis: Wilms Tumor (Kidney Cancer)
Age: 7
Favorite Food: Angel hair pasta and anything chocolate
Favorite Activity: Reading
Superhero: Hermione Granger (from Harry Potter book series )
Bio: Around 20 kids in North America are diagnosed each year with the same type of cancer as Hannah. She is very unique! Hannah was diagnosed in February 2014 with bilateral metastasized Wilms tumor (stage 5 kidney cancer). As a patient of Rady’s Hannah underwent six months of chemotherapy and had a major surgery to remove her left kidney and part of her right kidney. At UCSD Moores Cancer Center Hannah received radiation to her lungs and flank. Hannah is approaching two years with No Evidence of Disease! Hannah loves cupcakes, reading chapter books, riding her bike, swimming and the color pink!
TRAVIS H.
Team: Team Resilients
Diagnosis: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
Age: 14
Favorite Food: Pizza
Favorite Activity: Fishing, Soccer, Rocket League
Superhero: Hawkeye (Marvel)
Bio: Travis was diagnosed with T-Cell ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) in October 2014 just after he turned 11. His treatment plan through Rady Children’s Hospital went perfectly and he ended his treatment in February 2018; he is a survivor! Travis has been an amazing champion throughout the entire experience, and wants to help support research that will lead to fewer kids going through what he did. Travis’s message to other diagnosed kids is to stay positive in your thoughts and be as active as you can. During treatment, he continued to play soccer, took up golf, and go fishing whenever and wherever possible! Our family thanks you in advance for supporting the innovative work in cancer research that Padres Pedal The Cause makes possible.
ANGELINA
Team: Bill’s Angels
Diagnosis: Neuroblastoma
Age: 7
Favorite Food: Mexican Rice
Favorite Activity: Horseback Riding
Superhero: Wonder Woman
Bio: Weighing in at only 32 pounds, this adorable seven-year old little girl is strong, sassy and very spirited. She’s certain that “hot lava pink” is her color. Baked Bear is her treat of choice and Elsa, from the movie Frozen, is her role model.
On October 30th 2010, at the age of 9 months, Angelina Repetti was diagnosed with an aggressive childhood cancer called Neuroblastoma. A massive tumor wrapped around her spinal cord, compressing 95% of her spinal cord. She has been through both chemotherapy and multiple surgeries in San Diego as well as New York. At present, Angelina has had stable scans for almost 4 years. She has a long road ahead of her with orthopedic challenges due to the damage her tumor caused. Angelina is a hero to many. She has been through more than most adults and is stronger than you can imagine. As quoted by her Mom, “she’s our little firecracker. Her name is Angelina Vittoria, which in Italian means Angel of Victory.” Victorious she will be!!!
JAMES
Team: REVolution Against Cancer
Diagnosis: B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Age: 5
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite activity: Pokeman and Mario Kart
Superhero: Batman
Fun fact: Likes to cook and wants to be a pizza chef when he grows up.
Bio: In January of 2017 James was pale, tired and thought to be anemic. When he couldn’t walk from the car to his classroom, he was taken to Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego and admitted to the Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders where he started treatment for D-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Currently, every two weeks James stays at the hospital and receives high dose chemotherapy. With a goal of reaching maintenance by 2020, James and his family like to focus on the small wins.
MYER
Team: Oceanside Glasstile
Nickname: Superboy
Diagnosis: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Age: 6
Favorite food: Ice Cream Sundae
Favorite activity: Baseball
Superhero: Spiderman
Bio: Myer is a very energetic 6-year old boy who enjoys skateboarding, surfing, playing baseball and basketball! He loves superheroes and upon diagnosis, he created his own superhero name and logo called Super Boy! In October 2015 while riding his scooter, Myer fell and scraped his leg. The scrape became puffy and infected and he was prescribed an antibiotic, however, one day later he starting having severe stomach pain and a high fever. Knowing something wasn’t right, his parents took him to the ER at Rady Children’s Hospital where he was admitted to the Hem/Onc floor. On October 26, 2015, Myer was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Myer and his family have created a wonderful bond with the nurses and Child Life Specialists at the hospital. Thankfully Myer is currently in remission, however, he will be receiving Maintenance treatment until February 22, 2019. He is in first grade and plays on both a baseball and basketball team. He enjoys living life to the fullest and not letting cancer and his treatment get him down! Myer looks forward to you being a part of the Super Boy Crew!
JACE
Team: Bill’s Team
Diagnosis: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Age: 5
Favorite foods: Pizza, tacos and shrimp
Favorite activities: Playing with superheroes, playing sports, and anything physical
Superhero: Iron Fist, Star Lord and all Marvel heroes
Fun Fact: Jace loves Michael Jackson
Bio: On July 14th, 2016, 3 days after his 4th birthday Jace Burnett was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). While this was a shock to him and his family, in true superhero fashion Jace muscled through his intense patient stay of 31 days. His condition has not stopped Jace from being a wonderful big brother to Jackson, 3, and excelling in school as well as his love for sports. In treatments, Jace often wears a super hero costume and enjoys watching Michael Jackson videos. With 2 years of chemotherapy ahead of him, he is focused on beating ALL, excelling in bilingual kindergarten and scoring goals on the soccer field.
ZAINAB
Team: Padres Pedal Staff
Diagnosis: pre-B Cell Leukemia
Age: 3
Favorite foods: Mac & Cheese, Kebobs
Favorite activities: Blowing bubbles and dancing
Superhero: Minnie Mouse and Disney princesses
Fun Fact: Zainab loves going to baseball games and cheering on the Padres!
Bio: You’ll never forget an encounter with Zainab — the three-year-old diva touches everyone with her spunk, her dazzling smile, and her charming questions. So when she seemed out of character with low energy during a birthday party in April, her mom took her to the doctor. On April 17, Zainab was diagnosed with pre B-cell Leukemia and began chemotherapy treatments immediately. Because of Zainab’s absolute neutrophil count, she remained in the hospital for 31 days straight. Zainab is about to enter phase 3 out of 5 before going into maintenance, which is expected to take 1-2 years. The tiny cancer-slaying superhero has wowed everyone with tenacity with which she’s approached this mission — she’s remained her sweet, energetic self through her treatment, and takes all her medicines with an enthusiastic “Yup I can!” Zainab loves to dress up, go to the beach and play with bubbles. She’s had to put school on hold to focus on her treatments. These days, she enjoys play dates at the hospital playrooms, visiting with her nurse friends and visits to the gardens. Zainab has one big brother, Amaan, who is riding in the Super Hero Kids challenge in honor of his sister!
CADEN
Diagnosis: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Age: 10
Bio: On January 12, 2017, ten year old Caden was brought to the ER late at night thinking he had dengue fever, a mosquito-borne virus disease, from his recent travels to Thailand and Cambodia. After spending the night at the hospital Caden and his family were told the diagnosis: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. This news came completely out of left field for Caden and his family. The doctors were very thorough, explained everything. Caden stayed at the Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders for almost one month. He has been resilient through everything and his mom says “He is the strongest person I know with an amazing attitude.” Caden’s parents are both scientists at biotech companies doing cancer therapy research and clinical development. They never realized their personal life would cross paths with their professional lives in this way, “it gives our work more meaning” says Caden’s Mom.
CASH
Team: Immunotherapy Foundation
Diagnosis: Wilms’ tumor
Age: 4
Favorite foods: Mac & Cheese
Favorite activities:“Jumping!” Playing chase
Superhero: Elsa
Fun Fact: He might be the youngest of the family but he’s the boss of the family.
Bio: On June 19th of this year we were a “normal” family, doing what everyone else does on a summer vacation. However, next day, on June 20th, our family was devastated to find out our 3-year-old son had cancer. That day we woke into a nightmare and ended up facing a challenge that will, unfortunately, last the rest of our lives. Cash was diagnosed with nephroblastoma/Wilms Tumor. He had his left kidney removed on June 26th, along with a coconut-size tumor. The tumor ruptured during the surgery to remove it, and the cancer cells spilled in his abdomen. After surgery, we were so thankful he made it through, but the tumor rupturing was not the news we wanted to hear. On July 3rd Cash underwent another surgery to correct his bowel, which was folding into itself (intussusception). On July 10th we were able to go home for a week before he got a fever, and we were admitted to Rady’s for another week. Needless to say, we were in the hospital practically all summer.
Cash is our warrior and fighter! He just turned 4 years old on October 5th, and has already been through so much. Cash received seven, full abdomen, radiation treatments at the Moore’s Cancer Center at UCSD. He just finished his 11th round of chemotherapy at the Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Rady Children’s Hospital. We will continue treatment until it ends on December 27th.
Support from our family, and friends (old and new) is so vital to Cash’s recovery and our family’s cancer journey. You never expect your child to get cancer. No one does, but there are many of us out there as childhood cancer is NOT rare. Everyday, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer, and 7 children will die. Our family is dedicated to Cash wholeheartedly, and we will fight for more research to help find a cure for this horrible disease.