LIHU‘E — Friends and family members of eight-month-old Hulali Kiyoko Rivera are hosting a garage sale and car wash Saturday and Sunday. All of the money raised will be used to pay for Rivera’s expenses as she seeks chemotherapy treatment at
LIHU‘E — Friends and family members of eight-month-old Hulali Kiyoko Rivera are hosting a garage sale and car wash Saturday and Sunday. All of the money raised will be used to pay for Rivera’s expenses as she seeks chemotherapy treatment at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital.
About six weeks ago, Rivera was diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma, which is a tumor of the retina.
Rivera has one large tumor in her right eye and five small tumors in her left eye, according to her mother, Anolani Higashi.
“She just got her first chemo treatment last Thursday and Friday,” said Higashi.
Higashi is currently living with her daughter and boyfriend, Peter “Kelo” Rivera. They arrived in Los Angeles April 18, and are currently living at the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald house.
The house is a “home away from home” for families of children undergoing treatment at local hospitals.
“Usually, you can only stay for 28 days,” Higashi said. “Because of our situation, where my daughter has to get treatment for three months, we got a letter from the doctor and asked to stay the whole time.”
During the three months of treatment, Rivera is scheduled to receive chemotherapy twice every four weeks. Each treatment is for four hours. In between treatments, the baby is taken to the hospital twice a week for blood tests. If the tests reveal a low blood cell count, she would need a blood transfusion, Higashi said.
“The doctor says if the big tumor is shrinking, that’s good, and we’ll continue chemotherapy,” Higashi said. “If it doesn’t shrink, she will have to have her eye out.”
At around six months, Rivera’s parents noticed that their daughter had a “wandering eye.”
“I thought it was something she would grow out of, but it seemed it was getting worse,” Higashi said.
Higashi sought treatment at Wilcox Hospital, who referred her to a cancer specialist on O‘ahu.
“It was diagnosed as retinoblastoma, and in my daughter’s case, it was bilateral,” Higashi said.
About 250 to 300 children are diagnosed with retinoblastomo each year, according to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital website.
The condition can be hereditary, but Higashi said neither she nor Peter processed the retinoblastoma trait.
While living in Los Angeles, the family is trying to raise money to pay for their expenses, including medicine and food.
“We have Aloha Care, so they supposedly cover everything that’s in the hospital,” Higashi said. “We do have to pay for the medicine. I just picked up Zofran, a small little bottle that only lasts for six days, and it cost $240.”
Friends and family members of baby Rivera are raising money to help cover these expenses.
The garage sale is Saturday at 3829 Kapunohu Street in Anahola, and the car wash is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Waipuli Complex, next to the Ohana Diner. The family is asking for a $10 donation from each vehicle participating in the car wash.
• Andrea Frainier, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681, ext. 257 or afrainier@ thegardenisland.com.
