Ana walks with her mom, Jackie.
Ana describes her hospital experience as “horrible” and lamented her lack of control. “I didn’t feel like I was safe there,” she said, “I mean, I did, but I felt trapped so I didn’t feel unprotected, but I felt like I had no control over anything and no privacy.” Now that she is home, she relishes choosing her outfit every morning, something most of us easily take for granted. She also is enjoying her kitty-time with cats Pepper and Luna and, of course, getting to eat whatever she wants.
Best friend and next-door neighbor, 12-year-old Lauryn Williams described what makes Ana so special: “[Ana] is really nice and really cares for you,” she said. “She is always there for you no matter what. [Ana] listens to you, she loves to hang out and spend time … she is really funny and smart, she is never mean she would never replace me, I would never replace her.”
For just about every 11-year-old girl, hair is everything. Everything. As happens in chemotherapy, Ana’s hair is falling out. “Last week, there were a few nights when Ana just cried and cried,” said Jackie. “Not just coming out, but coming out,” she emphasized, “in huge chunks.” Jackie said that losing her hair has been a very emotional process for Ana. Fortunately, Jackie found a Westchester-based hairdresser, LaSpina Salon, which specializes in cancer patients, to come and fit Ana for a human-hair wig. The wig was matched to a lock of Ana’s original hair, cut to fit her face and features and styled accordingly.
Raising more than the bar
“There is something called Make A Wish [Foundation] and sick children get to make wishes, and I get to make a wish,” explained Ana. “My wish is to go to Hawaii. I’m also looking forward to this just being over. No more stress about it — I’ll be healthy again. I’m really looking forward to going back to school again.”
Jackie said she does not believe that they are being tested; rather, they’re just unfortunate. “We are not religious people,” said Jackie. “There has been some shaking my first at the sky and, [questioning] why. But then there’s all these people who have rushed in to raise money.” Jackie worried this would “ruin” the self-employed family, financially. “But that hasn’t been the experience,” she said. “These experiences have taught me and Jim that community is important, and we are not alone.”
High Meadows families organized yard sales to benefit the family and a classmate even put together a morning coffee stand at which he sold coffee and baked goods, raising $1,000 for the family. Local faves The Trapps, along with The Felice Brothers, Dean Jones and Dog on Fleas are involved in a benefit concert that is being put together for Ana on Sunday, Nov. 18 at the school in Stone Ridge. The show starts at 4:30 p.m. The Dooley family has a blog where people can track Ana’s recovery: AnaDooley.com.
