Today ( November 3rd, 2026) I am proudly 15 years cancer free. I started counting on the day my final cancer treatment ended, which would be my stem cell transplant on November 3rd, 2011. I have been through a lot since then.
Just because I had gotten past the cancer didn’t mean my journey was over. I still had a very long road to recovery. This was full of bumps and detours like graft versus host disease, infections, and RSV, and navigating life from a chair. There were several times where I nearly didn’t make it long after the cancer itself was gone. It wasn’t the cancer that put me in the wheelchair. That came from complications as long-term effects from my treatment.
What I’m trying to say is that yes, beating cancer was an amazing accomplishment, but staying alive took so much more than just that. There were many sleepless nights for the whole family, countless tough decisions, and lots close calls when there was no cancer present in my body.
I am happy to say that that part of my life is behind me. I look forward to the future and the opportunities it holds. I have been getting stronger and stronger as the years go by. I now have my first job doing what I love: writing. I am involved in many projects that are going to change history and save children from facing what I did. I am forging my own path.
I am excited to see where this journey takes me next. 15 years without cancer is a major milestone. I can’t wait to celebrate the next one, and the one after that with my loved ones whose support got me to where I am today. I will continue on with a positive outlook and work hard to create a world filled with more accessibility and less cancer. I am lucky to be here and I will never forget that.
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