Caregiver

Heads or tails? The medical research was clear. Soon after making his way into the world, this beautiful and innocent boy was given the chance of making it to 5 years old with the same odds as the flip…of…a…coin. Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) has a 5-year event-free survival rate of 50%. Half of the young children that receive this diagnosis don’t make it. Heads. Or. Tails.

My dad was diagnosed with leukemia this past fall. Our family was left in utter shock as my dad was the epitome of health his whole life. From our yearly ski trips, hiking and biking excursions, and running four marathons (motivating me to run my first with him), there was nothing he couldn’t do. He still continues to be the strongest man I know five months into his battle.

I first got involved with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) shortly after the passing of my boyfriend, John, in 2020. John "Poochy" fought a very long and hard battle against leukemia that came to an end in August 2020.  I was absolutely devastated and lost in a world without my love.

Just like many Filipinos, my beloved grandpa said “Yes” to the U.S. Navy to provide for his poor family in the Philippines. He gave his all, and no matter the circumstances, he stayed strong. My grandpa was a warrior with a golden heart. From open heart surgery to prostate cancer and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), he fought for his life until his very last breath.

On February 2nd, 2019 my youngest daughter, Harper, was diagnosed with leukemia. Three and a half years later as I'm writing this I have a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.

I was diagnosed with diffused large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with concentrations in the brain and lungs. Lymphoma itself is a cancer that starts in the cells that are part of your body’s immune system, with DLBCL being the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

During the start of the pandemic, my boyfriend began working out from home with all the gyms being closed. While working out, he discovered a lump under his arm. We both waved it off as nothing to worry about, but he still asked his doctor about it just in case. His doctor wanted him to get it biopsied. I dropped him off for surgery, still naive that anything would actually be wrong.