Please help Juliana Patino (formerly Mollicone) — a loving mother, wife, daughter, and friend — who is currently facing the toughest battle of her life. None of us ever thought we’d be writing something like this. Life can change in an instant, and right now, she needs our help!

In early November 2024, just a month and a half after giving birth, Juliana started experiencing severe body pains. At first, she thought it was just part of postpartum recovery, but the pain worsened. After multiple ER visits and extensive testing, she received devastating news. On December 6, 2024, she was diagnosed with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) — an aggressive form of blood cancer.

Everything moved quickly. She was immediately transferred from Community Medical Center in Toms River to RWJ Hospital in New Brunswick, where a second bone marrow biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. Chemotherapy started right away, and she spent 2.5 weeks in the hospital as doctors fought to get her treatment started. Now, she continues traveling 2+ hours a day to outpatient chemotherapy, 4 days a week, with a long road ahead consisting of 9-12 months of intensive chemo, followed by 2 years of maintenance therapy.

For those who know Jules, she is the heart of our unit — the one who lights up every room, keeps us all laughing until our stomachs hurt, and somehow always knows exactly what to say when we need a pick-me-up. Whether it’s cracking a joke, planning a last-minute hangout, or just being that person who makes everything feel better, she’s the glue that holds us all together. She’s the friend you call when you need a laugh!