Ocoee family seeks help from Angel Tree program as 6-year-old battles leukemia

Ramirez family turns to Salvation Army for help during the holidays

ORLANDO, Fla. – Alejandra Ramirez, 6, is known for her fun personality and her love for her family, though her strongest suit is her bravery.

“Alejandra is love. She is a fighter. The doctor said she has the desire to live,” Jovita Ramirez said.

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She is Alejandra’s mother, and it was last year when her family got the most painful news from doctors that Alejandra was diagnosed with leukemia.

“When I heard that, I said, ‘My daughter is going to die,’ and the doctor told me to keep calm, and I said, ‘No,’” Jovita Ramirez said.

Between chemotherapy and long days at the hospital, she had to quit her job in order to take care of Alejandra.

The Ramirez family needs help from the Angel Tree program to make the holidays special for 6-year-old Alejandra, who's battling leukemia. (Copyright 2022 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

She also has two other daughters—Belen, 1, and Heidi, 14.

Jovita Ramirez explained what kept the family going was prayer and lots of faith, which is something Alejandra also held on to.

“I would talk to her, and she would hear me because I would see her tears on her face and when I saw that I said, ‘She’s alive,’” the mother said.

Alejandra is finally back in school and is improving by continuing chemotherapy and taking eight medications a day.

Jovita Ramirez’s husband is the only one working right now which is why they are depending on Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program to help with the holidays.

She said Alejandra is hoping to get a tablet for Christmas and a trip to Walt Disney World with her family, but the best gift would be to continue making memories together.

“I want my sister to be healthy,” Heidi Ramirez said in Spanish.

To adopt an Angel, click here. For more information on the Angel Tree program, click here.

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About the Author:

Ezzy Castro is a multimedia journalist on News 6's morning team who has a passion for telling the stories of the people in the Central Florida community. Ezzy worked at WFOR CBS4 in South Florida and KBMT in Beaumont, Texas, where she covered Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Being from Miami, Ezzy loves Cuban coffee and croquetas!

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