Linda begins her day with a couple of medications. Zitlaly communicates with Linda’s palliative care team at Phoenix Children’s regularly, and they often give her permission to administer meds at home. Some mornings, Linda will have virtual speech therapy. Linda is trilingual—she knows Spanish, English and American Sign Language. Recently she’s taken up French!

Linda spends most of her time lying down because a resting position works best for her air flow. When she sits up, her oxygen levels begin to drop. This is because of her scoliosis—the curve in her spine restricts her lungs.

Zitlaly gives Linda massages twice a day to prevent the formation of bed sores. She changes her position often, and she makes sure to lay Linda down on soft surfaces.

On the days Zitlaly is at work, Linda stays at home with her nurse. She spends her time playing board games, coloring and attending virtual classes. Linda loves playing practical jokes on the people she is closest to. When she strikes up a game of Sequence with Zitlaly, she’ll mischievously draw several cards at once.

Several of Linda’s joints from her waist down are dislocated—even in some of her toes. Her spinal vertebrae from C2 to C5 are malformed. “Her spine looks like a zigzag,” Zitlaly says. “I’ve brought her to several neurosurgeons, and they all don’t understand how Linda has mobility from the neck down. She’s going beyond what she should be able to do.”

“Linda is wheelchair bound. But man, you should see her maneuver that chair,” Zitlaly says. “She enjoys popping wheelies on it. She looks at fast cars—her favorites are Ferraris and Corvettes—and she goes, ‘Vroom-vroom.’”

Zitlaly wipes Linda’s mouth after she eats a strawberry. Linda enjoys foods of all types, but she tends to eat very small portions. Zitlaly supplements her meals with tube feedings and checks her blood sugar levels after meals.

Zitlaly and Linda hit their living room dance floor. Ever since she was a baby, Linda’s favorite thing to do has been dance. She loves a variety of music—from Macklemore to Aretha Franklin.

Wise. Patient. Silly. These are just a few of the words Zitlaly uses to describe Linda’s personality. “I have a little best friend. She’s always eager to go on adventures with me. It doesn’t matter where we’re going. As long as she and I are together, she’s happy.”