Mafalda A

My name is Mafalda (I know, it’s a mouthful), and I’ve lived in LA for most of my life, but my family is originally from Germany. I’ve always been an extremely active person, finding a way to get the most our of the 24 hours that we have. I would play tennis, swim, ski, paint, act in school plays, but all that changed in my Freshman year of high school. I was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a form of pediatric bone cancer,  in my right femur (upper leg). It threw the greatest wrench that I could have ever imagined in my constantly turning gears, forcing me through seventeen rounds of chemotherapy, a month of radiation, and six surgeries. As horrible as the entire experience was, I was also very lucky in many respects. I was treated at UCLA orthopedic hospital where one of the first TCA centers was established. That was when I was first introduced to the Teen Cancer America organization, and of course I was all for it! I met one of my best friends through the TCA center, something that I never expected to find while going through treatment. I have been in remission for the past two and a half years now, and am as busy as ever. I continue to work with Teen Cancer America, I still paint, and have found a new love for dark humor writing. Maybe I’m not doing things in the same ways as I used to to, but I firmly believe that change and evolution can or will become a good thing.