Lauren R

My name’s Lauren and I’m nearly 16, but in most ways, I’m just like any other teenager. I participate in school athletics, enjoy music and hanging out with my friends. I look forward to getting my driver’s license soon. What is very different about me, is that with a rare genetic disorder, I’ve had cancer five times (Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma, two brain tumors and two Osteosarcomas). I was first diagnosed when I was only a toddler, so I don’t really remember a time when cancer wasn’t a part of my life.

My older brother Brent and I have both spent long stretches in the hospital for cancer treatment. Chemotherapy is physically challenging, but you really have to battle the mental isolation, sometimes as much as the disease.

Although cancer is deadly and serious, with our rare genetic mutations, we would often joke that ‘malignancy’ was more common in our house than a cold. We laughed a lot, believe it or not. My brother had Osteosarcoma, Metastatic Melanoma and Acute Myeloid Leukemia, which was caused by the chemo for his Osteosarcoma. Scans and cancer treatment were things that Brent and I did together and I was so lucky to have him. He would give me practical tips on how to manage treatment and hospital life: 1st, always bring a phone charger. 2nd, take up a hobby (I taught myself Ukulele during my months of chemo).

Brent also taught me how to manage being a teenager with cancer, with humor and optimism. While he generally tried to deflect attention from his illness, he did call himself the “One Hip Wonder” when he lost half of his pelvis. He learned to walk… again and again. Brent would laugh, but then he would get to work. I followed his advice and his example, but in my own way. When I went bald from chemo, I put a sharpie squiggle on my forehead make myself look like Charlie Brown for Halloween. I got a beautiful henna crown for homecoming, rather than wearing a wig. I don’t try to hide my illness the way Brent often did.

My brother died around Christmas while trying to participate in a clinical trial for his relapsed AML. This was incredibly hard for me and my whole family, but when I returned to the hospital for chemotherapy after his funeral services, I began to realize how important his peer support was to the cancer part of who I am. None of my school friends could relate to the things that he understood so well– neither the funny, ridiculous things related to cancer, nor the hard parts of dealing with this condition.

After my most recent cancer episode, (which kept me in the hospital for nearly all of my sophomore year), I’m regaining my physical stamina, catching up in my classes and reconnecting with friends. I look forward to working with Teen Cancer America to advocate for others with cancer, so that there are better opportunities for young people to connect with one another while in the hospital. Even though we have cancer, we still just want to hang out with other kids our age, especially with those who can understand.