A little over a month after my 30th birthday, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on August 16, 2024 — just as my baby girl was turning 8 months old. At the time, we were living in California, where my husband was stationed with the military. After my diagnosis, I was encouraged to transfer my care to Texas for more aggressive treatment.
I was told a stem cell transplant would be my best chance at a cure, but first I had to get my cancer markers down low enough. It took six rounds of chemotherapy, multiple rounds of immune therapy, and a clinical trial with a long inpatient stay to get to that point. Just before transplant, I underwent intensive radiation. During the transplant process, I couldn’t eat for weeks and needed a feeding tube. I also developed a serious liver complication, but thankfully my doctors intervened and helped stabilize me. My hospital stay lasted seven weeks — more than double what we expected — but I was grateful to be healing.
It was heartbreaking not to be with my baby during that time, especially knowing that the transplant likely meant infertility. When I was finally discharged in April, we believed the cancer was gone. But just a month later, we learned it had returned. I’m now back on treatment, focused on targeting a rare genetic mutation in my leukemia. It’s been overwhelming, but I am still full of hope and determination. I want to live — and I believe I can.
Shelby’s LifeList:
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Create a play space for her daughter