When she reported to school for the second semester of sixth grade, in January 2025, Emma Geller could not have known that, in just a matter of hours, the Palisades Fire was going to displace her family and upend their lives. But, by then, Emma had already proven she was a survivor and that, no matter the circumstances, she would always find a way to thrive.

A year earlier, Emma had come down with what her parents, Jordan and Suzanne, thought was a simple flu—fever, sore throat and swollen lymph nodes in her neck. Although steroids helped her at the time, the symptoms reoccurred four months later, raising the family’s suspicions that something else might be going on. Tests revealed a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma—a cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the body’s immune system.

The family sprang into action, making an appointment with Nicole Baca, MD, a specialist in pediatric hematology and oncology at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s. It was, Jordan said, a decision that yielded instant results.

"The care Emma received was fast, nurturing and totally remarkable," he said. "Dr. Baca was phenomenal: She sat with us for hours going over every medication, describing what the treatment process would be and ensuring the care was absolutely seamless."

Emma was involved every step of the way, focused and attentive and confident the outcome would be good with the care she was receiving from her pediatric oncology team and Guerin Children’s.

"I was admitted four separate times, for a week each, so I could receive chemotherapy," Emma said, "but I wasn’t really worried because my parents assured me I was getting the best medical care and treatment possible."

Emma’s expert medical providers also included Leo Mascarenhas, MD, division chief and director of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Fataneh Majlessipour, MD, the clinical director of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. They collaborated closely with other members of her care team, among them her biggest cheerleaders: Her parents and three siblings—one of whom, her older sister Jasmin, helped bring light to even the darkest days.

"There were certain times Emma had difficulty tolerating treatments, but Jasmin was right there with her in the hospital room, laughing and singing and playing games together," Suzanne said. "Jasmin was definitely the best medicine."

As Emma began to heal, the family looked for a way to channel their gratitude to Cedars-Sinai.

"Our daughter received such tremendous care from amazing doctors, and we wanted to know how we could give back," Jordan said. "If there was a way to make other people’s lives a little better as they were going through something like this, we wanted to do it."

The family was quick to follow through, contributing to help establish a pediatric hematology and oncology clinical research fund and support pediatric nursing at Guerin Children’s.

"It’s funny—the people at Cedars-Sinai thanked us, but we’re the ones who feel honored,” Suzanne said. “It’s a privilege to support the work they do."

Today, Emma is cancer-free, and her life is beginning to resume its normal routine of homework, karate lessons and gymnastics classes. The Gellers are still not back in their home, which sustained fire damage, but they have learned to take setbacks in stride.

"We’re always looking to find opportunities to grow even when it’s hard," Jordan said. "This has been a challenging time, but we’ve gotten through it—and Cedars-Sinai helped make it easier."