When four-year-old Tao started dozing off during preschool, his mother, Ceniña, felt a quiet, persistent worry. Soon, Tao’s exhaustion turned into stomach pain. Then came the morning Tao reached for a fork and couldn’t move his hand. He looked at his mom and told her it simply hurt too much to try.
Local doctors initially thought it was growing pains or a stubborn cold. But when the pain moved to his legs and Tao could no longer walk, Ceniña and her husband Demetrio pushed for a second opinion.
The news was a reality no parent is ever ready to hear: B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
“The moment I heard the word ‘Leukemia,’ everything else just blanked out. The doctor was still talking, but I couldn’t hear her. It was like the world stopped moving, and suddenly, nothing was ever going to be the same,” Ceniña said. “No kid should ever have to go through that. You just can’t take the hurt away, no matter how hard you try.”
Life-saving treatment required Tao to start intensive care immediately. Within days, the Jaures had to leave their life in Gillette, Wyoming, and relocate to Denver. They arrived exhausted, terrified, and hundreds of miles away from any support system.
Through our Wyoming partner, Jason’s Friends, they found their way to Brent’s Place.
Brent’s Place became a sanctuary that offered much more than four walls. It took the “chaos” out of their crisis. Instead of worrying about where they would sleep or how they would manage meals, the family could step into a quiet, ready-made home. From the meals prepared for them to the activities that let Tao just be a kid again, the overwhelming burden of being “medical parents” finally began to feel lighter.
While the medical world felt sterile and scary, Brent’s Place felt like childhood again. Ceniña remembers Tao’s eyes lighting up when they walked in: “He was like, ‘Whoa, this is so cool. They have a playroom. They have arts and crafts. I love arts and crafts, Mom.’”
For Ceniña and Demetrio, the biggest gift was the community. In the middle of an isolating diagnosis, they found other families who spoke their language.
“It was so nice to actually wind down and not have to think about anything else,” Ceniña shared. “I could relax and not have to worry for just a minute.”
Today, Tao and his family are back home in Wyoming. He returns to Denver monthly for ongoing care, and every time he does, Brent’s Place is there. It isn’t just a temporary stay anymore—it’s their safe haven.
No matter what the future holds for Tao, Brent’s Place will always be here to welcome him home.
Support families like Tao’s today.
