Two days after Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston, Jennifer Ramirez had another major concern. As the streets filled with water, her nine year old son Steven, who underwent a triple organ transplant seven years ago in Omaha, became very ill and was going downhill fast.
Ramirez tells NewsRadio 1110 KFAB efforts to get her son to a hospital were challenging and frustrating. "All the highways were flooded and the ambulance could only get so far," Ramirez says. She says an Army convoy then had take him all the way to the hospital, which took more than two hours.
At the hospital doctors decided Steven needed to be flown to Nebraska Medical Center where he had his transplant. "I don't think if we wouldn't have made it out of Houston he would be here with us still," Ramirez says.
After a private jet flew Steven to Omaha, his family was dealt a devastating blow. Their son was diagnosed with PTLD, an extremely rare cancer. His family was told he may not make it through the weekend.
Ramirez says her son is doing much better and they are looking forward to his 10th birthday on October 4. "It is amazing how he is recovering so quickly and so well with the chemo." When NewsRadio 1110 KFAB talked to Jennifer and Steven, he was wearing a shirt of his favorite football player, JJ Watt of the Houston Texans.
Ramirez says Steven's dream would be to meet him one day. "We're hoping that he does being that is our home team and he is a huge fan." Steven's brother and sister are also in Omaha. The family is renting a room at Nebraska Medicine. There are two twin beds, and they are sharing an air mattress to be close to his side. "We left with nothing," said Jessica.
Despite a storm that nearly destroyed their city and their son now battling cancer, the family still feels blessed. Ramirez says her son still has 6-8 months of treatments left in Omaha.
(Photo: WOWT 6)