Childhood Cancer Canada

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Cancer knocked on my door for the first time just before my 13th birthday. It came dressed as Hodgkin’s disease, stage IIIB and stuck around for more than 8 months, finally subsiding to a plethora of drugs and radiation. Although the treatment was long and tiring, I kept my spirits up and realized that it wouldn’t be long before remission, when I would be able to be a “normal girl” again. Remission lasted about a year, and a few months after my 15th birthday, my old friend showed up like a late birthday present, stronger than ever and ravaging what I had taken years to rebuild. Along with its painful presence, my old friend brought perspective, patience and reliance. For once, cancer strengthened my faith and brought me closer to God. At 18, after having survived multiple rounds of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, I decided to pursue a Biology undergraduate degree and soon realized that I was interested in Genetic research and its application to disease diagnosis and prevention. Soon I began working with Dr. David Malkin at SickKids and applied to complete my PhD in his lab. The Childhood Cancer Canada TEVA scholarship was instrumental (...)