Bay Area teens battling cancer treated to spa day

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Several teenagers were given a spa day in San Jose. And while that's not unusual for some young ladies, what these girls are dealing with is definitely out-of-the-ordinary.

Tova Spa inside the Fairmont Hotel is a popular place to go to relax. But for nine teenagers battling cancer from around the Bay Area, it was more than that. It was also a time to just be normal.

Being a teenager can be difficult, being a teenager battling cancer is even tougher. The young ladies, ages 13 to 19, are being treated at Stanford's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital for their life-altering and life-threatening diseases. But on Wednesday, they escaped their reality in a giant pink limo.

"I just love what they do especially because it shows that they care for us, not only for our health but for how we feel and they make us happy," said cancer patient Ashley Fernandez.

The 15-year-old and her new friends arrived at the Tova Day Spa at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown San Jose where they traded cancer treatments for spa treatments that included manicures, pedicures, facials, and massages. It was a welcome rest for their bodies and minds.

"It's nice for them to really have the time to pamper their bodies and feel beautiful and feel girly and enjoy that," said Courtney Moreland with Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.

The nail polish on the toes and fingers will fade and relaxation may turn to anxiety when they return to the hospital. But for this one day, a girl can be a girl and all is normal in their world.

"I can't really explain it. It just feels normal. A teenage girl having a massage, getting a pedicure done like every girl does once in a while," Fernandez said.

This is the seventh year for this event, and Tova Spa donates all the services. After their treatments, the girls hopped back into their giant pink limo and headed to a special lunch in San Jose.