Each month, the New York Islanders and Northwell Health are spotlighting two strong and inspiring children battling cancer in continuous support of pediatric cancer patients all season long.
Jelien Ramos is the youngest of seven siblings in her family, meaning she was given the nickname “baby” for good reason.
Babies are supposed to be able to have everything done for them. That was not the case for Jelien. Instead, she was tasked with fighting for her life after being diagnosed with leukemia at three years old.
“I zoned out with every explanation [the doctor] was telling me,” Jelien’s mother, Amneris, said. “The words kept echoing in my head. I was angry and I would [ask] God, ‘why are you punishing me?’”Amneris’ disbelief sat for a while, and it wasn’t until Jelien’s hair began to fall out that reality began to stick, as she watched her youngest child suffer.
“I would find strands on her pillow to the point where I had to start cutting it,” Amneris said. “And [since] she thought that losing [her] hair was something that we did on purpose, I cut my hair just to show her that she was beautiful anyway.”
Everything was made even more difficult for Jelien and her mother when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in the middle of her treatment.
“Technology played a big part because I had to FaceTime my kids to make sure that they were okay, while [my husband] was trying to work as much as he could,” Amneris said. “Then, COVID hit and everything shut down and we couldn’t even have visitors.”
Despite these tough restrictions, Jelien’s siblings remained endlessly supportive, as did several close friends of their family to ensure nobody got too overwhelmed through it all.
“Having that support helps a lot,” Amneris said. “It’s something that I tell everybody. Don’t be afraid to ask for help because daily life itself is a lot. Now imagine going through [this] with a child.”
Jelien fearlessly battled for two and a half years before she completed treatment on April 16, 2021.
Jelien and her family are forever grateful for the medical professionals at the hospital that saved her life and gave her a chance to fulfill her dreams. She has since committed herself to making an instrumental impact on others within her community.
“Every September she does a fundraiser,” Amneris said of her daughter. “She chooses something she wants to give back to the hospital and gets the community involved.”
In the past, she has conducted drives to collect and donate Girl Scout cookies, coloring books, LEGOs, Play-Doh and toiletries. This year, Jelien dedicated the month of September to donating board games back to the hospital since it was a significant help throughout her battle with cancer.
All these donations are only a piece of the puzzle. Jelien has received community service awards from Congressman Mike Lawler, New York State Senator Bill Weber and Robert D’Amelio, the Mayor of the Village of West Haverstraw, and even has her own scholarship, known as the Warrior Princess Scholarship, for high school seniors who have been affected by cancer.
"She’s beginning to understand her story and where the story is taking her,” Amneris said. “She’s showing [people] that kids do get cancer too and that they deserve to have [still] their childhood.”
Nearly five years after completing her treatment, Jelien attended the New York Islanders Hockey Fights Cancer Night, presented by Northwell, on Nov. 22, 2025.
“I wish that all team sports would do something like this because a lot of times, cancer is associated with [only] adults,” Amneris said. “But when it comes to a child, to have a voice means a lot.”
That night was special to Jelien, not only because she got to feel very important and see how many other people have been affected by cancer, but it also inspired her local community to host similar events.
“[The Islanders] inspired our hockey team at school,” Amneris said. “When they heard what [the Islanders] did for Jelien, they organized a fight against cancer night and invited her and a senior from another school as well.”
At just 10 years old, Jelien is already a role model. Courageous, classy and caring, she is the definition of selflessness. Wherever the unpredictable road of life takes her, it can be assured that she will make the most of it.
