Inspirational Stories

I was first diagnosed with pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in June of 2018. Like a whirlwind, I spent the next nine months fighting for my life, battling sepsis, liver failure, and receiving more transfusions than I could ever count. But I achieved remission for 18 months! And during those 18 months, I made every moment count. When my cancer came back in January of 2021, I was devastated, but we had a plan. If I achieved a second remission, I could have a bone marrow transplant and another chance at beating this. In April, I got my wish, and my sister, Makayla, was a perfect match for my transplant.

Unfortunately, the cancer found a way to come back with vengeance in September and brought with it graph vs. host disease (GvHD) and liver failure. But as of October of 2021, along with my amazing oncologists, we beat ALL twice this year and have made every single moment count! I am so humbled to be a three-time leukemia survivor. Cancer is a club no one wants to be in, but I want to encourage people to face their fears and find the strength that lies within them. Cancer can’t take everything. I have learned that cancer is relentless, but then so am I.