Cancer Rebellion
Hey my name’s Hernan - I was 15 when I went through treatment for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. Somehow I beat it - but I felt so much was wrong about my experience. Things that could have helped other young people survive were missing.
With hopes that I could improve the cancer experience for others, I started making short films about it. I wanted to show other patients that they are not alone — and to show the world that there are young people fighting cancer all around them. But I knew that in order to do this I would have to hit the road. So I packed up my gear and set out on a trip that would take the next year of my life to complete.
I went to all 50 states, drove 25k miles of road, and collected 28TB of footage. But more important than that - I met 90 great people who I now call my friends. I hope you enjoy their stories as much as I enjoyed this journey.
Below are some of the blog entries I wro Let’s step back and relive some of those miles!
Just Keep Going
AN ENTIRE DECADE... On January 11, ten years ago, today, I was given the notorious “Osteosarcoma” diagnosis... it was a Thursda...
Read MoreI Wouldn’t Miss it for Anything
My name is Micaela, and on December of 2016, I received my first cancer diagnosis of sarcoma botryoides, a rare type of cancer.
Read MoreHealing Through Song
This past February, I was diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia—a complete shock to my system. Cancer doesn’t run in my family, a...
Read MoreWhat is Normal?
My name is Tori and I am 24 years old. I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at 19, right before I was about to finish my second...
Read MorePatience Navigating Patients
Hello! I am Shannon Voelkel, one of the new additions to the Duke Cancer Institute’s Teen and Young Adult Oncology Program. I starte...
Read MoreBeing Healthy is a Gift
by Samantha Stacey Being healthy is a gift. If you have never been seriously ill, you may not fully understand the sentiment of tha...
Read MoreThe Reality of Breast Cancer
by Bethany I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in March of 2018 when I was 25 years old and living abroad. As the story n...
Read MoreA New Hope
When we meet fellow adolescent & young adult cancer patients, there is also hope. Hope that their treatment works. Hope that their heal...
Read MoreThoughts On Holistic Health
“How long ago?” I heard a man ask, as I stood staring into the seafood case at the supermarket trying to read the fine print...
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