Inspirational Stories

I was diagnosed at 26 years old with T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) in June 2022. I was still a newlywed having married my best friend in 2021 and was a mom of two boys (ages three and one).

I began experiencing symptoms in May 2022 and didn't think it was anything other than stress ― until they became unbearable. Losing unintentional weight, having night sweats, a swollen face, and chest pain ― my husband knew something wasn't right. We waited in the ED for hours before being seen and having several tests run.

Post diagnosis, I had eight months of intense chemotherapy at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) ― my oncology team being the best ― we hit remission in March 2023. In April 2023, we were shocked by the positive results of being pregnant after being told, "It will take two to three years before your body regulates to bear more children." We followed through with testing, and my embryo was healthy and viable despite the amount of chemotherapy I had just completed.

A few months later, in July 2023, I noticed a lump on my chest and had it biopsied immediately. Unfortunately, it came back positive for the same cancer. I was terrified. Being fresh in an unexpected pregnancy, fresh out of remission, I felt defeated.

I was hospitalized in September 2023 while pregnant to start my new treatment plan and ended up catching COVID. I was admitted for about three weeks, and in the midst of it all, I gave birth to my miracle baby, my third boy at 26w5d gestation. He was 2 lbs. 3 oz. at birth. I completed my intense treatment and would visit him in the NICU for the next 114 days.

I hit remission again in January 2024, and with my cancer relapsing so fast, my oncology team recommended I consider getting a stem cell transplant. I am currently on Day +87 post-transplant and am feeling good. My mom was my donor, and my miracle baby is home with his big brothers, now five and three, weighing in at a whopping 16 pounds. We made it to the other side of cancer! God is good.