Adults

In April 2017, Katelin, also known as KiNG, went to see a doctor for persistent severe headaches and dizziness. A blood test revealed that she had phase III chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). For someone Katelin’s age, a normal white blood cell count is between 5,000 to 10,000 — Katelin’s was 660,000.

Quade “Q” Marks is a 14-year-old freshman at East High School in Denver, Colorado.  He loves to play lacrosse, ski, snowboard and aspires to be a trauma surgeon. He is also a blood cancer survivor.

In 2015, I started having issues with being able to fight a sinus infection. Several months later, my doctor ordered me to have a bone marrow test and I was diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

I was 18 and had just moved away to go to nursing school, when I was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). In 1997, the only treatment option for CML was a stem cell transplant, a far cry from the oral treatment options available today.

In 2015 at the age of 21, I went to my local ER three times for lower back pain and was sent home every time. After a wonderful Disney trip, I went to my local ER with severe back and stomach pain. After several tests, the doctors told me it looked like I had large tumors in both lungs.

My mother never had an easy life, but she is courageous and strong. She has never let any pitfall keep her from moving forward in life. She is a hardworking, independent single mother who has loved me, supported me, and always managed to be there for me. She is a force to be reckoned with, and a beautiful person.

In October 2011, while at work, I fell after attempting to sit on a chair, and I went to the emergency department for x-rays. As soon as the technician began the process, he entered the room to ask if I had scoliosis. I replied, "no," and he proceeded with the exam.