THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WALB) — A 10-year-old South Georgia girl is preparing for a bone marrow transplant after her cancer returned, according to her family.

Christiana Jones was first diagnosed with Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma nearly two years ago. Her mother, Faylisha James, said the diagnosis was difficult to receive.

“I mean, what mother wants to hear that her child has cancer? You know, my whole world just shattered. You know, especially having her being diagnosed and then having other small kids, they have to look behind,” James said.

Cancer returns after remission

After six rounds of chemotherapy and a year and a half of treatment, Christiana’s family learned she had beaten cancer. Christiana rang the bell marking the end of treatment.

“She worked so hard for that moment. And that’s a moment that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” James said.

Three months later, the family learned Christiana’s cancer had returned.

“It was heartbreaking. You know, I cried, I cried, I cried. How are we going to get through this again in less than three months, you know? And we’re right back where we started,” James said.

Preparing for transplant

An oral chemotherapy pill allowed Christiana to continue attending school. Doctors say she now needs a bone marrow transplant, and a donor has been found. The surgery is planned for this month in Jacksonville, where the family will remain for six months.

“If I was to take her back to Thomasville and she gets sick, I don’t know what would happen in between me being two hours away. So, it’s best to just keep her here, and we’ll be right across the street from the clinic,” James said.

James said her daughter has remained a fighter throughout the process.

“She is a living witness that anybody can get through anything. And she does it with a smile on her face. She has a whole community, a whole family, her friends, her dad, her Nana, her great granddad. Everybody has got her back. We’re going to make sure she gets through it,” James said.

Christiana and her mother are now in Jacksonville preparing for the transplant, scheduled for Sept. 14.

Her mother has set up a GoFundMe for people to help make Christiana comfortable during this time.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and X. For more south Georgia news, download the WALB News app and add WALB as a preferred source on Google.

Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.