For Julio Rodriguez-Siraitare, baseball is more than a passion—it’s a way of making sense of the world around him. Back home in Nogales, he would always be playing baseball with his brother and friends, challenging himself to become a better player. So, when he started feeling sore and experiencing tingling in his legs, his parents chalked it up to muscle aches from playing hard.
But his pains kept getting worse. Soon his parents, Teresita and Julio Sr., took him to the hospital for a check-up. That’s when they learned he had a tumor pressing on his spinal cord.
Their local hospital wasn’t equipped to operate on this type of tumor, so they sent him, his parents, and his little brother Diego across the border to Banner – University Medicine in Tucson, Arizona. Two days later, his doctors diagnosed him with neuroblastoma.
This rare type of nerve cancer typically affects children under 5 years old. Julio was 9 when he was diagnosed. His doctors gave him a 50% chance of survival.
“I remember he asked me, ‘Mom, do I have cancer?’” said Teresita. “In that moment, I froze. I had to quickly think about what to say, so I used baseball to explain it to him.”
She explained that cancer is like a baseball game—you have to run the bases. Sometimes you’ll stay on first base, and it will take you a while to get to second, but you’ll make it there. That’s when Julio started thinking of cancer as a game to play. A game to win.
“I told my mom that I would strike out cancer,” said Julio, whose favorite baseball position is pitcher. That was five years ago in 2021.
For his first two years of treatment, Julio’s parents stayed right by his side in the hospital. They were there for every needle prick. Every midnight scare. And every little victory.
Little by little, his parents gained courage and hope for Julio’s prognosis. When they returned for additional treatment in 2023, a social worker asked if they wanted to stay at the Ronald McDonald House this time. They were hesitant at first but agreed because the boys thought the name seemed fun. Now they’re pros.
“When I first arrived here, I didn’t know where the cups were and I was embarrassed to get food,” said Teresita. The longer she stayed at the House, the more confident she got. Soon, she was known for taking other families under her wing, teaching them about the House, and sharing in quiet moments of solace.
“We console each other and support each other,” said Teresita. “Talking to other families helps. When you are in a moment of sadness and someone comes and lends a supporting word, you don’t feel so alone.”
Teresita can often be found in our kitchen, sharing her homecooked meals with other families. Family recipes that were passed down for generations are now being passed along to new families.
While they eat, they talk about their kids, lending advice and words of encouragement. In the Center for Adventure playroom next door, siblings can be heard playing, laughing, and supporting each other in their own ways.
Today, Julio is doing very well. Last year, he was even crowned as the Banner Diamond Children’s Prom King at a University of Arizona basketball game. Something nine-year-old Julio never imagined would be possible.
“There are many families that are barely starting their journey and losing faith. Losing hope,” said Teresita. She sees how fortunate her family has been throughout this process, so she makes it her mission to share her faith with others. “Our story has not been easy, but we are still here—as a family—with Julio.”
Neuroblastoma is unpredictable. They’ve been back for follow-up appointments that turn into additional treatments, but Julio has always kept cancer from scoring a run on him.
