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I was diagnosed with essential thrombocythemia (ET) in May 2014 after a TIA at the age of 55. I was prescribed 81mg of aspirin until my platelets reached one million. At that time, I began treatment with 500mg hydroxyurea and aspirin. I am now 66 and in the best shape of my life.

My story began in 2006 when I ran my first marathon, and it was with Team In Training (TNT) during Disney Marathon Weekend. Little did I know at that time that my husband, who is a lymphoma survivor, would be diagnosed with lymphoma in August 2020 during the pandemic. He survived six months of chemotherapy and 12 treatments of radiation.

Caysen was 2½ years old when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on August 6, 2018. Caysen's baby sister was born on August 31, 2018, and so began the journey of helping our child survive cancer. Caysen endured 822 days of chemotherapy and completed treatment on November 5, 2020.

In March 2020, I went through something I hoped would be my final battle with cancer — an autologous stem cell transplant after being diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). 

My daughter Bryn was diagnosed at just four years old in April 2024. Our lives were about to be changed forever. Bryn had pre-B-cell leukemia (B-ALL). She was in preschool, dance, music, and gymnastics classes.

We first heard about The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) now Blood Cancer United, through my brother-in-law who participated in the Ironman with Team In Training (TNT). He was involved with TNT for a few years before our family was affected by cancer. My father-in-law was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM) in 2019.

When I was 16 years old, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). I had previously been on track to graduate early, I was just cast in a play, a member of DECA, GSA, the improv team, and Key Club. So, all of that went away. I had to leave school immediately and drop out of all of it, including the play and all the clubs I was in.

I had breast cancer 13 years ago at age 30. I had a double mastectomy and four rounds of chemotherapy. I didn't know that the treatments for breast cancer put me at risk for developing leukemia. But I have since learned that leukemia secondary to breast cancer, while rare (0.5%), does exist.