Help needed for Marble Falls 5-year-old in second battle against cancer

When 5-year-old Isabela Solorzano learned she would have to travel from her hometown of Marble Falls to Fort Worth to begin a year-long chemotherapy treatment for high-risk neuroblastoma, school was her No. 1 concern. 

“She told her mom, ‘Oh, no, my teacher won’t like it if I miss school,’” said her prekindergarten teacher Suzy Cockrell. “You wouldn’t know (how bad her illness is) by looking at her. She’s so full of joy.”  

Cockrell started a GoFundMe account to help Isabela’s family pay for treatment costs, hospital stays, and other expenses. You can donate money directly to the family through the page. The fundraiser goal is $30,000. 

This is Isabela’s second battle with neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer developed from nerve cells and most commonly found in children. Her first diagnosis was categorized as low-risk and came when she was just 2 years old. After a brief remission, she received a new, high-risk diagnosis just before Christmas last year. 

Isabela and her parents will split time between Marble Falls and Fort Worth, where she will undergo high-dose chemotherapy treatment. Her two elementary school-age brothers will remain in Marble Falls. 

Since her recent diagnosis, the school community has rallied around her, making videos and finding ways to lift her spirits from afar, Cockrell said. Her students and classroom aides even wore shirts with the phrase “Friends Don’t Let Friends Fight Cancer Alone” on Isabela’s last day in school. 

The Solorzano family is grateful for the community’s support and is asking for continued prayers. 

“Isa a fighter,” Cockrell said. “She just is.”

brigid@thepicayune.com