Gisella will celebrate her third birthday in just a few days, however this is not the only milestone this sweet little toddler will endure this month; she will also be having a bone marrow transplant to treat her Infant Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.  This beautiful little girl was diagnosed in February of 2010, which was followed by chemotherapy treatments, remission, and then a relapse this past October.  In January of this year, Gisella suffered kidney and heart failure, which prompted her doctors to schedule her transplant this month at UCSF.

Gisella is a little ball of energy!  She loves to sing, dance, and have her picture taken (which is obvious by her beautiful photos).  She also loves to paint her nails, her mom’s nails, her older sister’s nail, or anyone who will let her.  She will also become a big sister next month!  Horses are her favorite animal and Toy Story is her favorite movie.  Throughout her illness, Gisella has remained a carefree, joyful little girl.  She continues to shine and make other’s smile with her sweet spirit and outgoing personality.

Photography by Brittany Wilbur

Bio by Alex Smith

Francesca Battistelli | Beautiful Beautiful