Stories of progress, inspiration, and information in overcoming osteosarcoma.

Joey Heredero standing in front of some trees and smiling

14 Years Later, ‘It Never Gets Easier’

Advocacy and remembrance help the Heredero family cope with the loss of their son and brother, Joey, to osteosarcoma.

June is always an emotional rollercoaster for Desiree Keller. While she has a lot to celebrate, it will forever be the month she lost her brother, Joey, to osteosarcoma.

“It is a somber time because June is Joey’s birthday and also the anniversary of his passing,” Desiree says. “But my birthday is in June, too, and so is my husband’s and my son’s. So the whole month — it’s a push and pull of emotions.”

The busyness of the month helps them cope, Desiree says.

“There is so much going on in June that it kind of forces us together and forces us to celebrate,” she says. “My son Jacob was born in June, and I think there must have been a divine plan in that, because it really is a nice distraction.”

[et_pb_acf_single_item field_name=”Posts|image_gallery” image_size=”et-pb-image–responsive–phone” admin_label=”First Gallery” module_class=”first-gallery” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” display_conditions=”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” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_acf_single_item][et_pb_acf_single_item field_name=”Posts|gallery_texts” image_size=”et-pb-image–responsive–phone” admin_label=”First Gallery” module_class=”first-gallery” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Open Sans|600|on||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”13px” display_conditions=”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” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_acf_single_item][et_pb_acf_single_item field_name=”Posts|2nd_content” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_line_height=”25px” headings_font=”Brandon Grotesque Bold||||||||” headings_font_size=”26px” display_conditions=”W3siaWQiOiI5YjA0YTkzOC1iMTlkLTQzMGQtODExYi0yMzU1NDY5ZmY4NmIiLCJjb25kaXRpb24iOiJjdXN0b21GaWVsZCIsImNvbmRpdGlvblNldHRpbmdzIjp7InNlbGVjdENvbmRpdGlvbmFsTWV0YUZpZWxkIjoiZXlKa2FYTndiR0Y1VW5Wc1pTSTZJbWx6UVc1NVZtRnNkV1VpTENKelpXeGxZM1JsWkVacFpXeGtUbUZ0WlNJNkltMWhiblZoYkVOMWMzUnZiVVpwWld4a1RtRnRaU0lzSW1OMWMzUnZiVVpwWld4a1RtRnRaU0k2SWpKdVpGOWpiMjUwWlc1MElpd2ljMlZzWldOMFpXUkdhV1ZzWkZaaGJIVmxJam9pYldGdWRXRnNRM1Z6ZEc5dFJtbGxiR1JXWVd4MVpTSXNJbU4xYzNSdmJVWnBaV3hrVm1Gc2RXVWlPaUlpZlE9PSIsImFkbWluTGFiZWwiOiJDdXN0b20gRmllbGQiLCJlbmFibGVDb25kaXRpb24iOiJvbiJ9LCJvcGVyYXRvciI6Ik9SIn1d” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_acf_single_item]

“The oncologist told us from the get-go, there is no cure for osteosarcoma, but I never in a million years expected my son to succumb to this disease.” — Linda Heredero

[et_pb_acf_single_item field_name=”Posts|4th_content” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ headings_font=”Brandon Grotesque Bold||||||||” headings_font_size=”26px” display_conditions=”W10=” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_acf_single_item]