The Hernandez family was never prepared for the devastating news they received at Fisherman’s Community Hospital in Marathon on July 20. What they thought was a visit to address 8-year-old twin David’s discomfort and pain in his elbow quickly turned into a nightmare. David, a well-loved student at Stanley Switlik Elementary, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer, in his right shoulder.
Kasey Platt, whose son John is David’s classmate, felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness when she heard the news.
“I just wanted to do whatever I possibly could to try to help them in a situation like this,” Platt said. This drove her to start a GoFundMe campaign to support the Hernandez family.
David’s journey has been particularly challenging, not only because of the severity of his diagnosis but also due to his unique communication needs. “David is nonverbal, meaning he does not speak at all, and he mostly communicates through expressions and behavior,” Platt said, adding that the unique obstacles with David’s autism diagnosis add uncertainty to the road ahead. “He can’t really communicate how he feels, and that can be challenging.”
Initially, the family believed David’s pain was from a dislocated elbow. However, imaging at Fishermen’s Hospital revealed a tumor. The situation rapidly escalated, leading the family to take David to Miami Children’s Hospital for further testing.
“A big concern with osteosarcoma is the potential for it to spread,” Platt said. “Unfortunately, upon doing imaging, it had spread to both his lungs, which is the worst-case scenario.”
As if battling cancer wasn’t enough, David also contracted COVID-19 upon admission to the ER.
“It is super confusing for him as he is sick and just began taking treatments for the cancer,” Platt said.
David started his first round of chemotherapy July 26. He is scheduled for 29 weeks of chemotherapy, with the goal of performing surgery at the end of the treatments to remove any remaining tumors in his lungs.
“One of the biggest challenges is that David’s brother, Daniel, is also autistic,” Platt said. “He’s a lot higher-functioning, but he is having a really difficult time with separation from his mother and brother.”
David’s mother, Yani Hernandez, has remained by David’s side, staying with family in Miami to be close to him. His father, Alex Hernandez, has had to stay in Marathon to continue working and supporting the family from afar.
“From my understanding, he has been going back and forth to Miami every single day,” Platt said.
Kasey and the community are rallying to raise money in hopes that Alex can spend more time with his family during this critical period. “The money that we’re going to be fundraising and continuing to collect is going to be so that (Alex) can hopefully spend time with the family and not have to work during this time,” Platt said.
The Hernandez family, well-known within the community, has received an outpouring of support.
Alex is the general manager of the fish house at Keys Fisheries, where he has worked for 15 years, and Yani works at Stanley Switlik Elementary School, which both boys attend.
“(Alex’s) relentless dedication and perseverance with our company is a reflection of the strength this family has,” Keys Fisheries wrote in a Facebook post requesting donations.
“Yani did it because she wanted to be with them on a regular basis and have some oversight on their day-to-day activities,” Platt said. “That just speaks for how much those kids mean to her.”
“David, Daniel and Yani are members of our Switlik family and our love and support are with them in this very difficult time,” principal Linda Diaz told the Weekly. “It’s heartbreaking.”
“David is also well known around the campus, and he has made an impact on quite a few people, more so than the average kid,” Platt said.
Among the pressures of frequent hospital visits and managing daily life, Yani Hernandez has one simple yet profound request: “We ask for your positive thoughts and prayers for David to have the strength to fight this cancer,” she said.
Donate to the GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/f2b7b1f3
