Inspirational Stories

My name is Gal, and I am 21. In 2011, I moved to California from Israel. Within a few months, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). I was only eight. I was dismissed by doctors for four weeks because I was too young even though I showed clear signs of blood cancer. My bones hurt a lot. I started to get a lot of big bruises, and I had an insanely high fever. I was in treatment for two years and seven months. I survived in 2013 as I entered my teen years. When I was sick, I would go to a camp called Camp Simcha. It is a camp for cancer patients in upstate New York. It changed my life, and I talk to most of my friends from that camp still in 2023. Camp Simcha taught me to live up my life, and that I will never be too sick to miss out on things. I want to thank Chai Lifeline for changing my life. 

When I look back at what I went through, it flew by. I had countless lumbar punctures. I was always taken out of school to get chemo done at Stanford. To some people, I may be just another girl who had childhood leukemia. If you look at all the pictures from my cancer treatment, you will only find one where I didn't have a huge smile. That was when chemo gave me a second-degree burn, and it hurt like crazy. Cancer affected me badly because we just go through treatments expected to be strong, and no one teaches a child how to communicate. I was diagnosed at 20 with PTSD. I have shown clear signs since I was 15. I would have specific nightmares about cancer and lots of panic attacks during the day that were cancer-related. I want to share this part of my story because people should know that life does not suddenly get better because you beat cancer. It's so hard mentally. After going through this at age eight, I hope that we teach children to cope better while they are fighting. I hope that people will share their experiences in remission. It's important. Once cancer touches you, it touches you forever. The guilt never leaves. The last thing I want people to know from someone who had chemo for over two years, chemo damages you for life. Cancer survivors are more likely to suffer from a chronic illness than someone who has not had chemo. I believe in sharing my story so other children and adults have a better future.