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 CANCER
CENTER
David diagnosed at 15,
T-cell lymphoma
Crystal diagnosed at 7 & 14,
acute lymphoblastic
leukemia
In
fact, David and Crystal were treated at the Cancer Center by
many of the same doctors and nurses working there now.
“For
a while I carried pictures around of when I had no hair so
the kids could see that it really does grow back,” said
David.
Today,
David and Crystal participate in the
center’s long-term survivor
program, and work overlapping
shifts in the Cancer Center’s infusion area as PALS, or
patient assistance liaisons. “We call ourselves the tag
team,” said Crystal. “We take vitals, take out IVs,
monitor patients, help the nurses a lot, and stock
supplies.”
David
and Crystal enjoy their jobs, especially working with the
children and the staff who once treated them. Their
histories help them sympathize with patients of all ages.
Crystal
experienced cancer as a young child and then again as a
teen-ager. She was first diagnosed with ALL, or acute
lymphoblastic leukemia, at 7. She responded well to her mild
course of chemotherapy and everything seemed fine for seven
years. Then at 14 the cancer returned. Treatment this time
included a bone marrow
transplant, along with chemotherapy
and radiation.
“I
was a freshman and very athletic. Suddenly there was no
school, no sports, no social life, being cooped up in the
house, and hair loss. When I was 7 I knew I was sick, but I
was okay just so long my parents were there and we went to
McDonald’s after the appointment,” said Crystal. “At
14, it matured me so much faster than other teen-agers. You
just appreciate life because you see a lot of people take it
for granted and you want to help another life.”
David
was 15½ when diagnosed with T-cell
lymphoma. He remembers
the most difficult parts of treatment as the shots and the
fluctuations in his body during chemotherapy. “I lost a
lot of muscle and then had to rebuild it,” said David.
“The medicine caused my weight to go from 130 pounds to
230 then back to 108 pounds.”
“As
a teen, you understand what’s going on, and that’s good
and bad. It’s a mental struggle because you know how
serious cancer is,” said David. “I work here now because
so many people at Texas Children’s gave to me and helped
me. I want to give back because if it wasn’t for them I
wouldn’t be alive.”
Once
patients and their families find out that David and Crystal
are long-term survivors, they ask many questions about their
experiences. Neither minds answering the questions, and the
advice David and Crystal give their patients and families is
much the same:
-
Stay
strong
-
Rely
on your faith and your family
-
Don’t
ever give up, always have hope
-
Believe
in the doctors and do what they say
-
Feel
free to ask questions
Today,
David is a
volunteer at
camps for children with
cancer. Crystal
attends nursing school and leads a life full of family and
many activities. Both are daily reminders of hope and the
life waiting to be lived after the cancer is gone.
Kids Courageous home |
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