By Alyce CollinsShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member“We were worried about our daughter undergoing anesthesia for an MRI—we had no idea we were about to be blindsided with horrific news,” mom-of-two Katie Martinez told Newsweek, after her daughter’s drop foot led to a devastating diagnosis.
Martinez, of San Antonio, Texas, was just two weeks postpartum when her mom pointed out an issue with her newborn daughter’s foot in August. Most babies flex their toes when the sole of their foot is touched (known as the Babinski reflex), but it appeared that 2-week-old Penelope couldn’t do that with her left foot.
At the time, Martinez didn’t think too much of it and presumed the issue would resolve itself naturally.
“The first weeks with a newborn are so tiring, plus I already had a 3-year-old, so I was really focused on finding a new rhythm and adjusting to life with two kids,” Martinez said. “When my mom told me about Penelope‘s foot, my first thought was that she was just in the womb for so long and her foot must’ve been in a position where it got tight or something.”
...When the sole of Penelope’s left foot was touched, it would stay limp and her toes didn’t move. Martinez kept telling herself it was a sign of “compression on her nerves” and it would go away on its own.
Nonetheless, she started Googling and saw that it could be a drop foot. This is the inability to lift the front of the foot due to a nerve, muscle or anatomical issues. Martinez thought that explained it and assumed Penelope may need a brace or physical therapy in the future.
When Penelope was 3 weeks old, the family did a newborn photoshoot together, and that’s when Martinez became increasingly concerned.
“It was that day that I started to get really concerned about Penelope’s foot. It was so limp and unresponsive, so I just knew that something was definitely wrong,” she said.
The next day, Penelope was seen by a pediatrician who took Martinez’s concerns incredibly seriously. While the pediatrician wasn’t too sure what was causing this problem, she referred Penelope to a pediatric orthopedic specialist, a pediatric neurologist and physical therapy.
The orthopedic doctors didn’t have answers either, so Penelope was referred to neurology for additional tests. She was given a sonogram which later revealed a cyst on her spine. Her case was then prioritized, and she was referred to neurosurgery, who requested an MRI.
Martinez felt “very nervous” about the MRI, but she was optimistic that physical therapy would be sufficient to enable her daughter to lead a normal life.
To her horror, that wasn’t the case at all.
...What Did Scans Reveal?
“My husband and I were with our daughter in a recovery bay when the neurosurgery nurse came to talk to us,” Martinez said. “We thought she was going to schedule an appointment, but instead she told us there appeared to be a mass in our daughter's abdomen that was invading her spine.
“Never in my life had I heard of this disease, but she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. It took a lot of tests to properly diagnose my daughter with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma.”
Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer that develops in immature nerve tissue, typically affecting children under the age of 5. It usually affects neuroblasts in the adrenal glands, but it can also develop in the nerve tissue in the spinal cord, abdomen, chest or neck.
Every year, around 800 children are diagnosed with blastoma in the U.S, according to The Cleveland Clinic. Children with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma usually require surgery to remove the tumor and any cancer cells that have spread to the lymph nodes. They may also receive chemotherapy after surgery.
Martinez never could have imagined that her daughter’s lack of Babinski reflex would be the first and only sign of cancer.
Martinez said: “I’ve never been someone who Googles health concerns, because I feel like every time you go down a rabbit hole the answer is cancer. Who would have guessed that this time cancer was actually the answer?”
What Happens Next?
Following her diagnosis, Penelope has already undergone two surgeries to get a Broviac (a central venous catheter) in order to receive chemotherapy, of which she’s done four rounds so far. She has also had multiple X-rays, MRIs and CT scans to monitor the size of her tumor and ensure that it’s shrinking.
...Martinez never imagined either of her children would have to go through cancer treatment, but especially not at the age of only 4 months old. Overall, Penelope remains strong throughout treatment. She gets tired easily due to chemotherapy, but she still constantly has a smile on her face.
She has been documenting her family’s experience on social media (@katie_martinez_0 on TikTok) in order to keep extended friends and family up to date, as well as raising awareness for neuroblastoma.
A video explaining how Penelope’s inability to do the Babinski reflex led to a devastating cancer diagnosis has gone viral with over 364,200 views and more than 8,000 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
Indeed, Martinez urges parents to speak up if they’re ever concerned about their children’s health because it could just save their lives.
“We want people to know that when you have faith and hope, healing will come to you,” Martinez told Newsweek. “No matter what your circumstances are, there is always hope. Children are so strong and resilient, they will often be the ones holding you up. They are amazing miracles.”
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