'Special' kid hoping to educate, inspire

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Staff Writer

Leilani Emosi faces more aggressive and difficult treatment for her leukemia this time because she is allergic to one of the primary drugs used to treat the disease. However, her family believes Leilani's strength and perseverance will offer hope and encouragement to others. Photos by Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Leilani Emosi, shown with her dad, Ese, and mom, Valeri, said she was angry when she learned the leukemia had returned, but she thinks it's because God believes that she can change people's lives. For Leilani What: KPOI Sweet Leilani Benefit Jam Where: Hard Rock Cafe When: 9 p.m. to closing today Cost: $10 presale, $15 at the door Entertainers: Nekken, Mixed Nuts, Pimbot, B.E.T. and Amplified

Now the 13-year-old 'Ewa Beach girl must fight again, having relapsed and knowing it will be a tougher struggle, but she wants to reach out to people during her treatment to educate them about cancer.

The family has created a Web site that includes journal entries from Leilani and information about the disease and treatment. Her mother, Valeri, has contacted the media, and KPOI, Leilani's favorite rock radio station, has responded with a benefit concert tonight at Hard Rock Cafe. Money raised will help defray Leilani's medical expenses.

Fear strikes people with the disease, especially those like Leilani, who was in full remission until she was diagnosed in February, Valeri Emosi said. Treatment this time will be more aggressive and difficult because Leilani is allergic to one of the primary drugs used to treat the disease.

Yet the family believes it can offer hope and encouragement to others during Leilani's expected three-year treatment because of the kind of person Leilani is.

"Through it all, even when she's had a rough moment, she keeps us grounded," Valeri Emosi said. "It's going to be so much worse this time and people that see her say, 'Wow, this kid is special.' "

Leilani's journal entries reveal a candid individual, willing to discuss the ups and downs of her disease, including sitting with her "porcelain friend" and how stupid she can get over little things.

"You have to keep a sense of humor during this whole thing or you will lose your mind," Leilani wrote recently.

Among people who thinks she's special are Double D and Blunt, who host KPOI's The Rock Show in the mornings. Leilani is a big fan of theirs and when she was hospitalized last week her mom e-mailed them requesting they say something to cheer her up. The pair decided to visit her.

In her journal Leilani talked about the experience, how funny the guys were and how they made her feel at home.

Double D — Doug Durocher — said the same thing about her. Never having gone to visit a sick child before, Double D said he felt awkward and nervous but Leilani put him at ease.

"She has a great spirit," Double D said. "I was really impressed with her strong will and high humor. She didn't seem sad or depressed at all. She was more angry, which I felt is a more healthy emotion."

Leilani said she was angry when she learned that the leukemia had come back. But because her illness defies standard procedures, she thinks she knows why she is ill again.

"I think God chose me to go through this because I can change people's lives," she said, adding that doctors are developing new procedures to treat her and the new protocol will be useful for other patients having similar allergic reaction to the medication.

Leilani's full-blown treatment was delayed recently when she developed an infection and ended up in the hospital. She also suffered a setback when the catheter that was recently placed in her chest became infected and had to be removed. But she's philosophical about the chain of events.

"None of this so far has been as bad as the first time," she said. "There were many times I was close to death. It was scary, but it taught me to go with the flow, just roll with the punches."

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.

On the Web:

• Visit Leilani's Web site at oursweetleilani.com