Young Adult

In November 2014, my daughter Valerie was born. Shortly after, I was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection by my doctor and received 3 rounds of antibiotics because it just wasn’t going away. Life was hectic as I learned to care for my newborn and I was getting into a new routine. Some of my lymph nodes became swollen. I was having night sweats. I developed a rash and high fevers.

I found out in February 2024 that I had stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) at the age of 23. I could barely walk as my feet were swollen from the lymphedema. My body was tender and in a constant state of fatigue, waking up as if I had just run a marathon. Night sweats, nausea, lung infections, painful testing, it felt like I was going through it all. I lost my job as a restaurant manager.

I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) while 26 weeks pregnant at 35 years old. I remember looking in the mirror one day and told my husband I looked like I was sick, but we just chalked it up to me being pregnant. A few weeks later, I found a rash on my legs and scheduled an appointment with my OB who ordered bloodwork.