Category Cancer Patient Stories

by Sarah Turner, age 12 (right) Not knowing someone who has made such an impact on the world around you is hard, but the fact that she was my aunt makes it even harder. Mary Ellen Welch (left) was just…

“Her name was Marla Rene Schreiber Mehlman—but her middle name should have been ‘Hope’ or ‘Determined’,” said Jon Mehlman, Marla’s husband, as he addressed loved ones gathered to celebrate Marla’s life and memory. Throughout her life, Marla exuded courage, determination,…

At 15, Kayla Brown was a normal teenager with normal priorities: friends, high school, and extra-curricular activities, especially soccer. She trained year-round and never let anything get in the way of her athletic performance. So when she started to spend…

“Nixon’s probably a bigger AC/DC fan than me,” says Hamilton Clarke, 9-years-old. “I’m trying to convince him there are other bands that are good.” But to Nixon Clarke, no one beats AC The 7-year-old, being treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia…

Life was full of uncertainty for 27-year-old Christina Crespi as she battled what seemed to be a never-ending, unknown illness. As extreme fatigue and weakness persisted, and her independence dwindled, she started to feel as if she was losing a…

I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia at the age of 20. For me, the hardest part about hearing ‘you have cancer’ was having to deal with the thought that I might have to sacrifice important moments in my life…