In 1994, at the age of 29 I was diagnosed with stage IV acute myelogenous leukemia. I was told there was a five percent chance that I would survive. Having a husband and three kids, I was devastated!
I never thought this could happen to me, and it was a long hard fight, but I did it.
Twenty years ago I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). My husband, Remi and I were married and just moved to Virginia, where Remi was stationed in the Navy. In the short six weeks we lived there, I never felt 100% and I was at the doctor four times in six weeks. At my last appointment, I requested that they draw my blood.
In November 2016, Gina was diagnosed with Stage II Hodgkins lymphoma (nodular sclerosis). She had just started her second year at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences where she studies diagnostic medical imaging in the sonography program which is an accelerated three year bachelor program.
In May 2008 at nine years-old, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). I went from being told I had a 10 day stomach virus to being told I had leukemia. The doctors said told I didn't come in when I did, I could of lost my life.
Every survivor has a story. Mine started out on my way home from work one sunny June afternoon in 1983. My mom came to pick me up and we were riding in the car. I still remember the feeling of freedom as the wind blew through my long brown hair. Spring was always a season of rebirth to me after the long New York winters.
In 1985 at four years old I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Luckily, my sister who was two at the time was a bone marrow match so I underwent a bone marrow transplant. The house of chemotherapy and radiation left me nauseas to the point I couldn’t bear the smell food. But thankfully, I was soon in remission.
I support LLS because leukemia and lymphoma has impacted my family. On Mother’s Day in 2006, my cousin's six year-old daughter, Sydney was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). After a year of fighting so hard, Sydney passed away.
In 2011, I was given two months to live after I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
I had to stay at the Bone Marrow Transplant Center at the Salt Lake City Hospital for a very long time and undergo a very hard fight.
My aortic valve failed this year from the chemo, but I had open heart surgery in May 2017 and I am grateful to be alive!
I want to tell you about my hero, my wife, Melissa. She is service-focused from the time she gets out of bed until the time she returns. She's been a part of Team In Training for the past three years and has raised well into five figures to help others. That's what made her Hodgkins lymphoma diagnosis all the more ironic.
I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia September 2014 at age 13. I had just started 8th grade. 1st symptoms-to-diagnosis took only 4 days. I didn’t get a chance to think about things; we were busy trying to save my life.