In November 2012, Emma began experiencing odd symptoms like physically hearing her blood rush through her body. She was out of breath just walking from one room to another, and she had a headache every day. As a high school student, she attributed these symptoms to the stress of upcoming finals. However, by New Year’s Eve, Emma was being rushed to the ER because she felt so faint.

The doctors did bloodwork and returned with shocking news—Emma’s counts were dangerously low, and she needed to be transferred via ambulance to a children’s hospital. Upon arrival in the middle of the night, Emma immediately received a blood transfusion. She was admitted at 6:00 am and scheduled for a bone marrow biopsy the following morning. The biopsy results showed that Emma had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

After being diagnosed, Emma remained hospitalized for three weeks. She then traveled every week for chemotherapy for the next two and a half years. She also underwent cranial radiation for eight days. Due to her treatment, Emma had to miss a lot of school and graduated a year behind her friends. She dealt with a lot of anxiety and depression throughout her experience.

As of April 2020, Emma has been cancer free for seven years! She is a happy young woman who loves traveling and hanging out with her friends.

Every child who has been diagnosed with childhood cancer inspires us to Rally On to find better treatments with fewer long-term side effects and, ultimately, cures. Please join us in the fight against childhood cancer by making a donation or setting up your own Rally fundraiser today.