Homeward bound
Two-time leukemia survivor Serina Robles, 12, has a never-ending smile, despite undergoing a bone-marrow transplant and being in the hospital for five months. She and her family are searching for a home as they head back to North Idaho on Thursday. (Courtesy photo)
Courtesy photo The Robles family looks forward to having a normal life again once they find a home after returning to the Inland Northwest later this week. They’re seen here during daughter Savannah’s 10th birthday last summer, just before Serina (standing) was diagnosed with leukemia for the second time. From left: Mom Kellie, Serina, Savannah, dad Ray and Neveah, 5.
Through it all, Serina Robles has kept a smile on her face.
"I feel great," the Coeur d'Alene 'tween said over the phone Tuesday, chipper and cheerful.
"I feel like myself, how I was before," she said. "I don't feel sick like I did in the hospital."
Finally, after five months of hospitalization, doctor appointments, tubes, tests, needles, good days, bad days and a bone-marrow transplant to overcome her second bout of leukemia, Serina and family are coming home. They head back to the Inland Northwest on Thursday.
"I feel happy," said Serina, now 12. "I’m really excited to go back home to see my family and friends and live a normal life, like I was before I went through this."
The trouble is, they don't know where home is going to be.
When Serina was diagnosed last summer, the Robles clan — dad Ray, mom Kellie and younger sisters Savannah and Nevaeh — packed up their North Idaho home to have the funds for a long but temporary stay in the Ronald McDonald House while Serina was treated at Seattle Children's Hospital.
They now have help from Medicaid for Serina's medical expenses, but since Ray hasn't been able to work and Kellie has been on family leave without pay from her job at a senior living facility, the money they do have won't last long.
Finding a new home has been a struggle because of the financial situation. With no proof of income since August and less than perfect credit, Ray has had no luck securing housing. Application fees of up to $75 and long waiting lists have been discouraging.
On top of that, Serina's compromised immune system will require her to live in a sanitary bubble for about a year. That means she can't be around dirt, grass, flowers, big crowds of people, construction sites, other people's animals, dust or mold.
They're hoping to find a four-bedroom home in Spokane so they can be close to her doctors at Sacred Heart Medical Center. When Serina first recovered from leukemia, the family lived in a home that had mold problems, which caused a world of trouble for the little warrior.
"We don't want to take a gamble on this," Ray said. "It's going to be tough with having two other little ones to take care of. To be honest, I don't know how we're going to do this."
Earlier this week, doctors told the family that Serina has a 20 to 30 percent chance of relapsing in the future.
"That just put my stress level even higher," Ray said. "There's just so much with everything."
Their plan is to get back to the Inland Northwest and stay at a cheap hotel as Kellie gets back to work and they lock down a newer, clean home they can move into as soon as possible. Most of their funds from different fundraising events and efforts have been exhausted, but Ray said they are incredibly grateful to all who have contributed so far, including those who raised $2,100 for them at the Polar Bear Plunge earlier this month.
Serina will need to be monitored and homeschooled for a year before she’s healthy enough to go back to public school. She's on 15 different medications and will be going through chemotherapy five days a month for the next 12 months.
Her hair is finally starting to grow after months of a smooth scalp and knitted caps.
“I don’t know, I think I’m going to grow it out,” she said with a giggle.
Ideally, Ray said the family would like to have six months of rent paid up front so they can focus on giving their girls a normal life again.
It's stressful, and they don't have all the answers, but they're staying optimistic.
"There are other people in this world going through a billion times worse than what we're going through," Ray said. "We have our health, we love each other, we're happy. Although Serina is going through this, it could be a lot worse. We'll get through this."
Donations for Serina can be taken to Horizon Credit Union, 123 W. Hanley Ave. Well-wishes and cards can be sent to 432 Wood View Road, Sandpoint, ID 83864.
GoFundMe: https://bit.ly/2TKFkO4