On December 28th, 2021, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. My wife, Meaghan, got a gut feeling a few days earlier that I was sick. She is a nurse and had a feeling it was cancer so she made me the appointment to be seen by my PCP. It was confirmed that I needed to go to the hospital. I spent 81 days inpatient and had  a bone marrow transplant. I would like this for my wife and 3 kids. To give them something back as they have been through so much.

Andrew’s LifeList:

1. Family trip to New Hampshire

2. Tickets to Santa’s Village

3. Tickets to Storyland

I was diagnosed in 2014 with lung cancer. I was 30 years old. I have been through a lot of different treatments but we did find one treatment that resulted in positive news from my scans. I did have a scare that past year. We removed a cancerous lymph node from my abdomen and there were complications. I was in the hospital for six (long) nights. It took over a month to recover but I am better now. My last scan was positive news once again! 

I am a phone buddy for three major lung cancer organizations. I listen and share my story with the young adults that are diagnosed around the same age that I was. When you are diagnosed with lung cancer you want to know someone who has been through what you are going to be going through. 

I have also fundraised for Dear Jack in the past. 2022 being my first to start my own team! I plan to revive Team October in 2023 as well.

Diane’s LifeList:

1. Chicago staycation
2. Dinner at Ruth’s Chris
3. MacBook

I am a 37-year old mother of five boys. I was diagnosed on December 17th, 2021 with triple positive breast cancer, I spent 2022 undergoing chemo, immunotherapy and a double mastectomy surgery. My boys – ages 17, 15, 13, 13, and 8 – have been amazing . They have stood by my side and helped with everything. My fiance had to leave his self-owned contracting business to go to work for a local firm to be able to have benefits to help me during my treatment. I will be completing my final immunotherapy in January of 2023 and then will have monthly injections.

Jessica’s LifeList:

1. A Family Trip

Two years ago, when Aishly was 20, she felt a bump in her thigh that was causing pain. She went to the ER and when her primary doctor got the notification of the ER visit, she had her come in for some tests. At the time, Aishly was working, going to school and having fun with her family. She was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma and had to immediately go into treatment. She went through treatment and was in remission, but a few weeks later she was not feeling well. Tests showed cancer in other parts of her body. She was in chemo on her 21st and 22nd birthdays.

Aishly’s LifeList:

1. MacBook Air
2. Nintendo Switch
3. Trip to Mexico

I was diagnosed with stage IV rectal cancer in May of 2022 at only 29 years old. I have done six rounds of chemo infusions and six weeks of daily chemoradiation. I still have at least two surgeries and more chemo before I am finished with treatment.

Megan’s LifeList:

1. Family trip to Orlando
2. Universal tickets
3. Disney World tickets

I am 32 years old and diagnosed with double breast cancer. Back in March of 2022 we were having a movie night and my dog climbed up and started scratching my chest and as I was rubbing it I felt a lump. I contacted my doctor and sure enough biopsies showed that it was indeed breast cancer but not only did I have a lump there I also had one in the left side I never would have felt. My dog saved my life. I have completed 16 rounds of chemo and 5 rounds of immunotherapy. I just had a double mastectomy and will be switching to a new medication for another 14 rounds.

Amanda’s LifeList:

1. Family trip to TN

I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in May of 2022. It started off with a trip to the ER for a severe headache and chest pains. I ended up being away from my family for a month and a half while I was at IU University Hospital. My stay was scary and there were complications from the time I was in the ER until I left. I have had several rounds of chemo and recently, on December 9th, had my stem cell transplant. My transplant recovery is going well so far with only one trip to the ER and back to IU University hospital. I am on several medications and have labs weekly with my care team. My family has been super supportive and understanding of the situation. Since diagnosis we have moved 3 times and been homeless for two weeks prior to getting on HUD finally in October. Things are finally looking up and my belief in God has strengthened.

Elysha’s LifeList:

1. iPhone 14
2. Laptop
3. New TV
4. PS 5

My initial diagnosis was on October 19th, 2018. I was 16 and a junior in high school when I was diagnosed with pre b cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. My biggest stress was my chemistry class which I tried hard in and struggled with and, of course, the SAT. My cancer diagnosis put all that on the back burner. I juggled school and cancer treatment as well as being a normal teenager. I dealt with all the side effects one may experience with cancer from mucositis to methotrexate toxicity which caused me to lose the ability to use the right side of my body and forced me to relearn how to walk and talk. I finally finished intense treatment after 9 harsh months and moved to maintenance chemo. While that was easier, I still had its struggles like when I was in my college dorm room and realized I turned yellow and found out I had chemo-induced hepatitis. Luckily new research came out and I finished chemo a year earlier than expected. 

I then spent my sophomore year of college cancer free and happy, studying criminal justice. However, about a year after finishing treatment the first time I noticed my legs slowly becoming weak and hard to control. This was caused by cancer in my spinal fluid and resulted in me being diagnosed with a CNS relapse at the age of 20, only a year and four days after finishing treatment the first time and having to relearn how to walk again. The relapse was rough with treatment causing my port to be infected and causing me to get a blood clot in my lung. After recovering from that process my port was infected again causing me to go into septic shock. I was given the good news that I qualified for a newer treatment called car t-cell therapy which is where my own cells are modified to kill cancer and this treatment was far less harsh than chemo. However, this was unsuccessful and my medical team decided a bone marrow transplant would be the best option for me. My brother is my donor and I am currently in the prep stages of the transplant process.

Jack’s LifeList:

1. Xbox X
2. Lego AT-AT
3. Lego Ferrari Daytona SP3

I was 31 when July 18, 2022 changed my life. Your 30’s are supposed to be about being thirty, flirty, and thriving. When I was diagnosed, I was relatively healthy and exercising was routine. I never even gave cancer a thought, nor did my health team initially because I was “too young.” My boyfriend actually found the lump at the time and literally saved my life. We thought it was maybe a cyst that all 30 year olds get, so I decreased my coffee intake, which is another nightmare in itself. But the lump didn’t go away and I finally scheduled a doctor’s appointment. Went to my appointment and I was reassured it wasn’t cancer, no way. Probably a blocked duct since again, I was “too young.” Thankfully they still ordered imaging “just in case.” I went to get my ultrasound and mammogram results during my work break, confident that it was nothing. I knew something was wrong as soon as the radiologist went quiet and the room got still. No friendly small talk and they left to get the doctor. In the next few moments my thirty, flirty, and thriving 30’s changed as I was about to hear the most devastating word, cancer. My journey began with a same day biopsy that I literally fainted in. My life had turned into at least a year of consistent appointments with triple positive stage 3c breast cancer. While everyone else my age was having babies, getting married, going on trips, and buying a home.. I was undergoing cancer treatment. But I won’t let that define me, as I have more years to live without cancer.

Rachael’s LifeList:

1. Trip to a national park with Mike and dog, Callie

In January of 2023, my family and I will be packing up two SUV’s and moving 1700 miles away from what we call home. We are taking an opportunity to move when I am still healthy enough, and to migrate to warmer weather to hopefully help with both my wife’s and my own body pains. I have stage 4 breast cancer with metasteses in my bones and my spouse has chronic pain. I was forced to retire from hairdressing right after getting diagnosed in November of 2020, and my wife was also let go from her nanny family after we found out. Not only did we lose our jobs, but we were forced to sell the house we loved. After moving back in with my parents and getting back on our feet (most of the way, anyway), we are ready to live in our favorite place in the states! Together we share a ten-year-old dog and a six-year-old kiddo who we love so much! Being in active treatment means I have very little time to be able to work, but on the flip side, it means I have lots of down time to give my body the rest it needs to continue to kick cancer’s ass.

Stephanie’s LifeList:

1. New couch and TV
2. PS5
3. Membership to OdySea