‘We’ll Fight Together’: From Patient to Caregiver at Valley Children’s Hospital

Published September 3, 2025

MADERA, Calif. – When Mirella Jimenez tells young cancer patients that they’ll fight together, she means it. A childhood cancer survivor herself, Jimenez now works at Valley Children’s Hospital and uses her story to inspire the next generation of fighters.

“My journey started here when I was really young,” she said. “And I think it will end here when I’m really old.”

Jimenez was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia when she was 6 years old. She was treated at Valley Children’s and was declared cancer-free at age 17.

Determined to give back, she joined the hospital that cared for her, working first in the cafeteria at Valley Children’s before transitioning into patient care in the Craycroft unit.

“Craycroft was a perfect spot,” she said. “I said, that’s where I want to be.”

She works as a pediatric care technician and assists nurses, takes patient vitals and prepares patients and families for treatment.

In those moments, if it feels right, she’ll share her story with patients who need to hear it.

“I want to be a light to them, because a lot of them believe that this is kind of like the end of the road,” she said. “But I tell them, hey, it’s not the end of the road. This is the start of the road. We’ll get there together and we’re going to fight together.”

Now, she finds joy in the small victories – especially when patients ring the bell to mark the end of treatment.

“Oh my gosh, the feeling of them ringing the bell is just, my heart’s going like this,” she said, mimicking a racing heartbeat. “It brings me so much happiness.”

Jimenez says the emotional rewards of her work far outweigh the paycheck.

“I think it’s worth more than the check I get,” she said. “It’s just the joy that I take home.”

Each day, she arrives with positivity and a message for the patients she sees: “Come on, my friend. You’ve got to come with me and fight another day.”