Alyssa
This is the story of Alyssa:
“My cancer journey, like many others, was very difficult,” began Alyssa S., now 23. “I was diagnosed on February 20, 2013, at the age of 12. Whether or not we did treatment wasn't a question; we started right away to give me the best possible chance of survival.”
Alyssa was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia High Risk Pre-B Cell. Her symptoms initially resembled a stubborn cold. “I had what we thought was a cold during the winter along with my siblings, but I was the only one not getting better. One night, I was in extreme agony due to abdominal pain that had been ongoing; my parents couldn't stand to see me like that, so my dad drove me to Sunrise ER, which was too packed, so he then drove me to St. Rose ER where they did a full set of blood work. I then awoke to the paramedics putting me in an ambulance and rushing me back to Sunrise for proper treatment.”
The diagnosis was a shock. “I was still young and didn't know much about cancer other than what I had seen on commercials, but I knew I didn't want to die. I wanted a chance to grow up and achieve my dreams,” Alyssa shared. The road ahead was grueling, and no amount of preparation could have readied her for the challenges. “From the beginning, I knew God and my family were going to be my biggest support systems to lift me out of the darkness that going through chemotherapy put me in, so I leaned on them heavily.”
Alyssa's treatment involved over two years of chemotherapy, which took a severe toll on her physically and emotionally. “Treatment was extremely painful, physically and emotionally. From the beginning, we had a plan of action, and unfortunately, everything that could go wrong went wrong,” she recalled. “I distinctly remember breaking down in the doctor's office and telling my nurse that they have to stop telling people things will be better during a certain part of treatment when that may not be the case. In my case, they were wrong. When they said it was gonna get better, things got worse, and that took a huge physical and mental toll on me.”
To cope, Alyssa turned to fashion design. “At the start of treatment, I got really into fashion design. I would draw clothes I would want to wear instead of those dreadful hospital gowns,” she said with a smile. This creative outlet provided a much-needed distraction from the harsh realities of her treatment.
Alyssa’s introduction to Candlelighters came through their Teen Scene program. “I remember going to my first Teen Scene. I was extremely shy and not talking to anyone. Tomier, who is now one of my friends, was the first person to speak to me and try to get me to come out of my shell,” she recalled. The sense of community she found with Candlelighters was invaluable. “My favorite thing about Candlelighters is that it is like one big family.”
Candlelighters played a significant role in creating memories for Alyssa. “Candlelighters helped create such positive memories for me. Instead of my memories being tainted by the cancer that plagued my life, they are full of fun memories of me just being a kid with my amazing new friends and family,” she explained.
When Alyssa completed her treatment, her church and its congregation raised money to send her family to Disneyland. “The first thing I did when I completed treatment was go to Disneyland. My church and its congregation raised money for my family and me to go to Disneyland as a gift for completing treatment and kicking cancer’s butt,” she said.
Reflecting on her journey, Alyssa has some advice for other children facing cancer. “One piece of advice I can give other children is to lean on the people that you love and that are close to you; they will be your biggest support system. Another thing I’d like to say is don’t let cancer take your childhood from you. Attend every Candlelighters event if you can. You will be surrounded by other kids who understand you more than anyone. Your peers will become some of your best friends as you go through treatment, and you will create amazing memories together.”
Once a Candlelighters kid, always a Candlelighters kid – thank you for sharing your story, Alyssa!
