At 10 years old she was diagnosed with cancer

Normally, that one person we talk to in each of our class remains as our semester-long “friend”. However, that wasn’t the case for Juanita and I. Our friendship went from simply helping each other with homework to going out late at night for a spontaneous Starbucks run. Both of us didn’t even really drink coffee, we just went because it was free that day. Of course, we made sure to go on a DX run as well, so don’t worry. It was during one of these hangouts when Juanita shared her cancer story to me.

Round 1

“The school year had just started and it was during the first week of fifth grade when I started to feel a sudden pain in my right leg. It was an indescribable sense of discomfort. I told my parents about the pain, but they thought it was growing pains and didn’t think much of it, telling me it would go away soon. The next week came around and I ended up at the nurse’s office because my head started to hurt. I ended up having a fever of nearly 112 and the leg pain had worsened by then. My leg started to cramp up to the point that I could barely move it. It was then when the school quickly got ahold of my parents and told them I needed to see a doctor immediately.”

Juanita was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), the most common type of childhood cancer of the blood and bone marrow that disturbs white blood cells.

“When I heard the word ‘cancer’, I immediately related cancer to death and losing hair because of what I’ve seen in movies. My thoughts were, ‘I am going to die. Why me God? What did I do to deserve this?’ I was furious with God. I was confused and frustrated with the whole situation because it was too much to process in my 10-year-old head. Also, being a girl, my main concern was my hair. I had nonstop thoughts about my hair: ‘I don’t want to lose my hair. I am going to be bald… What are my friends going to think when they see me bald?'”

Upon her diagnosis, Juanita went through several surgeries in order to start chemotherapy and like any other surgery, there were possible risks.

“One of the main surgeries I had to undergo was getting my port access. A port or a catheter is a medical device that goes under the skin and allows IV fluids or other fluids such as the chemo, antibiotics or blood transfusions into the body. When it was time to do this complex procedure for me, as the doctors were installing the port, a specific vein was cut, which lead me straight to ICU and in a coma for three days.”

Although Juanita gradually became conscious after the coma, she ended up staying in the ICU for a month due to a stroke that resulted from the failed port procedure. The worst part, several weeks later, was that she had to undergo the port procedure a second time because it was crucial for her chemotherapy treatment.

“My family hesitated to agree with the procedure, but it had to be done. They hoped and prayed to God that it would be a successful procedure this time and, thankfully, it was. I was then able to start chemotherapy, which was something I will never forget.”

Fighting the first fight: treatment

“[Chemotherapy] was truly the definition of hell. Sleepless nights, constant nausea, vomiting, pain throughout my whole body, indescribable hallucinations from all the drugs, fatigue, endless chills, loss of appetite, mouth sores, I bruised very easily, and my nails would fall out along with my hair. Besides the chemo, having a stroke also led to horrible consequences. I was literally paralyzed from head to toe. When I share my story with people, I always describe it as if I was “born again,” and had to learn how to do everything again.  Walking, eating, swallowing, learning how to write, tie my shoes, and go to the bathroom on my own. I even had to relearn my close family members’ names and who they were such as my brothers, my dad, my mom and other close extended family members.”

Along with chemotherapy, Juanita’s year-long treatment also consisted of spinal taps, blood transfusions, feeding tube, steroids, seizures, MRIs, EEGs, thousands of needles poking her body as well as an intensive amount of pills.

“There were times that I would have to take 37 pills in one gulp and more throughout the day. I also recall my dad having to be trained by a nurse, so when I would get treatment at home, he would be the one who had to give me the shots for certain medications. Treatment was not just going through chemo and recuperating from a stroke. I also had to adapt to a new home, new routines, new people, new food, new medical terminologies, and much more.”

The side effects of chemotherapy and treatment, in general, caused Juanita to have a very low immune system, so she wasn’t able to meet other people. The worst part: “I was so sick, so I had no motivation for school.” As a result, Juanita didn’t attend school for about 10 months.

“The few times I did attend school, was during the end of my treatment when I had the energy to do it. I was extremely self-conscious about my appearance and what my friends thought of me. My biggest concern was that I was bald and how my friends would react to it, especially the boys. Also, the fact that I missed school for a year put me far behind on school work. However, I was still fortunate to graduate and walk with my classmates in our fifth grade graduation.”

Round 2

“I remember sitting at my desk during math class in 8th grade when someone called my name. I turned around to face them, but the vision on my right was suddenly blurry. I closed my eyes, thinking that if I did that then it would go back to normal. However, nothing changed. I didn’t tell my parents for a couple of days because I didn’t want this to be another scare. As the days went by, my vision worsened to the point that I couldn’t see much through my right eye. Only then was I able to tell my parents and went straight to the hospital.” 

In 2007, when Juanita was 14-years-old, she was diagnosed with a different type of cancer. She was diagnosed with a Central Nervous System Relapse of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (CNS) relapse of ALL.

“My reaction of being diagnosed with cancer the second time was similar from the first. However, this time, it was more a feeling of frustration. My thoughts were ‘God, why me again? I don’t want to lose my hair again. It’s not fair! I just want to live a normal life and go to school like all my friends and be a normal person!’ On the other hand, I felt braver. I felt like this time treatment would be a piece of cake compared to the first because I already had an idea of what it would be like.”

With the CNS relapse of ALL, Juanita faced the new challenge of having to adjust to her loss of vision. She had a tumor, a ball of mass that grew in her right eye, triggering her optic nerve and, thus, gradually “fogging” and “dimming” her vision. As a result, this time, Juanita had to receive treatments such as radiation along with the chemotherapy she had previously undergone.

“I wouldn’t say fighting cancer was easier the second time, but surviving cancer once helped me to have higher hopes for surviving cancer a second time. I felt more confident that everything would turn out okay because nothing could beat the intensity of the first cancer experience. In addition to cancer, going through a coma and a stroke also helped me maintain a more positive outlook, remembering that nothing could worse than my past experience.”

Another full year of treatment was spent being a role model for children with cancer. With her previous experience and the strong bond she formed with her “hospital family,” Juanita was always asked to speak or visit other cancer patients and talk them through certain procedures and let them know that everything will be okay by sharing her experience. Therefore, when she transferred to Virginia Tech she knew exactly what she had in mind for her future plans.

“One of the biggest gains from being hospitalized with other young cancer patients was being able to relate, empathize, communicate, and build relationships with other patients, their families, and the medical providers. That helped me to decide that I wanted to major in Human Development at Virginia Tech because I knew that this major would help me to continue to do just that for children in any of my future careers as a certified Child Life Specialist, elementary school teacher, special education teacher, counselor, or anyone who helps spread childhood cancer awareness.”

Life is “precious” and “delicate”

“I never imagined that a minor leg pain would escalate into, ‘Juanita, you have cancer.’ My first experience was very traumatizing, so there were days when I just felt like giving up. I constantly repeated to myself and to those around me, ‘I just want to die,’ but I was able to maintain a positive attitude because of my faith in God and those who prayed for me. I became a stronger individual and I have a completely different outlook on life, living each day as if it could be my last.”

Juanita has always been very open about her cancer story because she wants to spread awareness about childhood cancer. However, often times, people find it difficult to openly show their weak side or share about their weak moments.

“I was literally a vegetable when I was in ICU and the people who saw me during that time know that as well. They were shocked by my recovery and how I made progress every day because it was a true miracle. I’m currently 23-years-old and still young, so I want to go out there and continue to change people’s attitudes about cancer and how one can make a negative situation into a positive one. Most importantly, I know that God designated me to go through this journey twice at a young age, so I can spread the news about how miracles do happen and provide others with hope.”

A Message for cancer patients & Hokies

“My message to current cancer patients is that there is ALWAYS hope and for everyone at Virginia Tech, remember to never take things for granted, especially your education. For someone who missed a great deal of school during her precious childhood years, I really value education and it’s still unreal to me that I am here now, studying at Virginia Tech. Another miracle. And how can you support cancer patients? No doubt, VT Relay for Life.”