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The mission of the SurvivorVision is to provide support to
survivors of pediatric cancer by advocating on policy issues, funding research and providing education and resources that empower survivors to minimize the adverse physical, psychological and economic long-term effects of cancer treatment while maximizing the quality of their lives. As a childhood cancer survivor, just getting a
diagnosis was
the first battle. I had been a previously healthy fifteen-year old, but one day in 1989 I developed flu-like symptoms. Within 48 hours, my fever, fatigue and nausea turned into swollen glands that made it very hard to move my neck. I started to violently throw up. The pediatrician discovered severely swollen stomach and glands as well as jaundice, a yellowish color to my skin, which is never good. I also had difficulty breathing and I was wheezing. My pediatrician immediately admitted me to the local hospital for monitoring and diagnostic work-up. After undergoing numerous tests, including blood work, X rays, CT scans and a spinal tap, all tests results were negative, but my condition worsened. After 72 hours in the local hospital, I was emergently transferred to Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago for an oncology consult. At this point, I was barely conscious, required oxygen, and was unable to move my neck at all. My body was shutting down and problems with bleeding and clotting developed. Because my condition was worsening, I was taken to the operating room for exploratory surgery and biopsies. All biopsies were negative and I was transferred to the ICU after surgery because I was on a breathing machine and needed close monitoring. |
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