Andrea Miralles is only 13 years old, but she is already forced to face a big and difficult battle, she was diagnosed with an aggressive type of cancer that is allocated in her left thighbone (femur), now she fights to save her leg and her life.

The young Costa Rican is the youngest of three sisters and is passionate about dancing, reading and singing. It was actually after participating in a dance show that she began complaining of pain in the left leg, her parents took her to the doctor and they discovered an osteosarcoma, a cancerous tumor in the bone.

“She needs the surgery, it is not an option, she needs to get the tumor removed and this involves removing some of the bone as well. This type of surgery could be an amputation or a surgery to save the leg, in other countries like the United States and others we researched, surgeries to save the leg are done in 90% of the cases but the patient has to be a good candidate, which depends on each case, in her case, she IS a candidate, which is why we are doing everything we can to make this happen. The surgery can cost around $200,000.00 with all the tests and considering possible complications, and the therapy treatment after the surgery can run an additional $300,000.00 to $400,000.00”, explained Andrea’s father Montgomery Miralles.

The family has started a campaign called “A Paso Valiente” to raise funds to make Andrea’s surgery possible. “A Paso Valiente” has a website with banking information and is also present on Facebook, her case is also found in the platform YouCaring.en.

“We are on a run against time. I will do the impossible to save my daughters life, and I know any other father would do the same”, said Mr. Miralles.