JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It all starts with a trip to Jacksonville in 2022 when Divine Brumfield's family traveled from South Bend, Indiana to Jacksonville to spend more time with her paternal grandmother.
Brumfield, a toddler, fell off the bed and their grandmother found that Divine had a “knot” on her stomach, a release said. She was taken to urgent care and then Wolfson Children’s ER.
After bloodwork and an imaging scan, the results showed that she had multiple tumors on her left and right kidneys. She was diagnosed with "a rare but aggressive" condition called bilateral Wilms tumor that impacts both kidneys.
Nemours Children’s Health pediatric hematologist/oncologist Dr. Scott Bradfield, who is Wolfson Children’s chief of hematology/oncology, said a Wilms tumor is rare and often one-sided, but the condition can present in an early diagnosis as bilateral.
“Divine is so personable and interactive with our teams since early in her treatment,” Bradfield said in the release. “She is a happy, optimistic little girl who absorbs all the love her mother, family members and our team bestow upon her, giving hugs to everyone! She gives a boost to our team, including me. Every day we get to see her, it reminds us of why we work so hard to treat kids like Divine.”
Her chemotherapy began Nov. 2, 2022. The surgery to remove most of one kidney and half of the other took place the following Valentine's Day in 2023.
"I was so scared," said her mother Arabia Brumfield. "But her Wolfson Children’s OR nurse Cheryl Gaball was assigned to me so she could update me at every stage. Her updates let me know Divine was alive, when the big part of her surgery was done, and that she was doing well.”
After the surgical treatment and chemotherapy regimen, Divine completed her treatment and rang the bell, a tradition that signifies the “end of treatment” although not being “cancer-free.” Unfortunately, her imaging scans showed that Divine’s cancer had spread to her lungs.
“Divine had to start a new chemotherapy regimen at that point,” Arabia Brumfield said.
The release said her survival rate is 40%, her mother commended her toughness and Divine's personality that's "sweet, sassy and full of energy."
Divine's nickname is "Diva D" for her "charm and sassy personality," the release said. The hospital staff take inspiration from her.
"(Divine) is such a joy in our lives," her mother said.
Divine's GoFundMe is here.
