Fresno Teen Survives Cancer, Launches Gummy Business with Mom

Frida Sofia thought she was just anemic when her high school senior year turned into weekly trips for iron infusions. Two months after doctors cleared her to stop treatment, she threw up blood at her senior prom.

"My blood pressure was 60-something or 40-something, and I was dying," Frida says. Paramedics rushed her to the hospital that night in May 2024, where emergency doctors discovered three tumors bleeding in her stomach.

The Fresno teen was diagnosed with Stage 3 gastrointestinal stromal tumor and a rare blood disorder called Von Willebrand disease. Doctors told her she might not survive, but emergency surgery successfully removed all three tumors.

Through months of painful recovery and constant medical appointments, Frida's mother stayed by her side every single day. "My mom has really been the only one there for me," Frida says. "She was there holding my hand when I was dying."

Unable to work a traditional job while caring for her daughter, Frida's mom found a creative solution. She started making chamoy gummies at home and launched Frida Sofia's Gummies, selling bags for $10 to $12 to cover medical costs while staying available for every appointment.

Why This Inspires

Today, Frida is cancer-free. She still gets MRI checkups every four months, and her mom is still right beside her, thanks to every bag of candy sold.

But Frida isn't just focused on staying healthy. She's enrolled in school with plans to become an oncologist specializing in the rare cancer she survived. "I want to be an oncologist so I can help patients who have what I had," she says.

The mother-daughter business has taken off online, with one TikTok video about Frida's story reaching over 43,000 views. Orders come in through social media and phone, turning a medical crisis into a thriving family enterprise.

"I've been through a lot, but I'm still here," Frida says. She was told she wouldn't make it past prom night, but now she's planning a future saving lives just like the doctors who saved hers.