My name is Brooke, and this is the story of my cancer journey or as I call it, “the terrible 20’s”. On May 26, 2020, at 21-years-old, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Advanced Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.  It was a typical Tuesday, where I had a routine doctor’s appointment and was going to have a girl’s day with my mom after. That all changed shortly after when we received the call that changed our lives forever. You don’t really have time to process hearing the words, “it’s cancer.” It’s right into appointments. By the end of the same week, I had a biopsy, a port in place, and was ready to begin treatment. I then continued to receive many rounds of intensive chemo and many rounds of radiation. By the end of that year, I was able to say I had beat cancer.

Fast forward to 2 years later when I found myself back in the hospital unable to walk. On December 3, 2022, I was once again faced with the word “cancer.” This time I was up against a whole new cancer...metastatic Ewing Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. It started as a record-breaking 16+cm sized mass in my pelvis/hip and had also spread to other areas. It was wedged and too large to be surgically removed, so I had 17 cycles of chemo, a summer of radiation, and weekly blood and platelet transfusions. While it’s not completely gone and there are still plenty of unknowns, we continue to monitor it with routine scans and treatment accordingly.

Unfortunately, my April follow up scans showed numerous nodules on both lungs. In July, I had surgery to remove some of my lungs and then also to conduct a biopsy to see what we are dealing with and how to treat it. Currently, results are pending, and we are making a treatment plan.

While effects linger and I am faced with disabilities that will never go away, I continue to live life as much as I can despite those hurdles. The whole process has really taught me so much about myself and what I am capable of. I also gained so much respect for myself, and it ultimately made me a better person. It’s crazy how something so miserable can also be good at the same time. This journey brought me new experiences, new friends, and a whole new family I didn’t know I needed.

(Editor’s Note: Depending on treatment, some cancers can be considered “pediatric” up to age 23.) 

Written by Brooke

Please consider helping children with cancer and others in our community by scheduling a blood donation at Miller-Keystone Blood Center: https://donor.giveapint.org/donor/schedules/zip