Stories of Hope and Healing

Ellen's Valerie Fund Story
A Valerie Fund Patient

Current age: 53

Diagnosis: Osteogenic sarcoma

Age diagnosed: 16

Having been diagnosed at age 16 with osteogenic sarcoma in my left leg, The Valerie Fund Children’s Center became a place not only for treatment, but also for healing and support. Even afterwards, when the treatment regimen was completed, the staff at The Valerie Fund Center continued to be a source of care and encouragement. The Valerie Fund will always be family to me.

To address the osteogenic sarcoma in my bone, major surgery was done above the knee, where part of my femur was replaced with a donor bone. I then had a year and a half of chemotherapy treatment, followed by ligament surgery on my leg. I then required an additional year of chemotherapy treatment, due to having a relapse of the cancer in my lung. Although the surgeries and treatment were physically and emotionally depleting, I remained very motivated to get back to a normal life. I was committed to attending high school and keeping up with my work. In many ways, my life had become more enriched because of what I learned from that experience. I am incredibly grateful for my life and my survival.

Surviving osteogenic sarcoma inspired a desire in me to live life to the fullest. It brought my family closer together and gave me the strength to deal with other challenges, a deep appreciation for my life, and the gift of my Camp Happy Times family. The friendships I’ve made at CHT, beginning as a junior counselor when I was 20, have endured for more than half of my life. Those friends are my family, too. After finishing college, I decided to pursue a Master’s Degree in Social Work and was inspired to work with children. I learned many things from my experiences at The Valerie Fund, but one of the greatest lessons was to enjoy my life and appreciate all of my blessings.

Alissa's Valerie Fund Story
A Valerie Fund Patient

Current age: 37

Diagnosis: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)

Age diagnosed: 3 years, 11 months

I was almost four years old when diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. I remember going to The Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders for spinal taps, blood tests, and check-ups. Some memories I have from my time at the hospital include watching some of the older Valerie Fund Center children racing on their wheelchairs and IV poles, and joking around with the doctors and nurses.

The Valerie Fund Center and their terrific doctors and nurses supported me and my family, as a a young child and during my teenage years, with the after effects of my treatment. My parents, my brother, and I had a loving relationship with each other during my treatment. This special bond has continued into my adult years as a cancer survivor. Memories of my hospital stays come up sometimes, when looking at old family photos and visiting with relatives. I revisit these memories when I see friends, other TVF survivors, former counselors from Camp Happy Times, and former nurses at events that support TVF.

I attended Camp Happy Times between the ages of 5 and 20. While I was there, I made many friends who had the same experiences that I had. For the past 3 years, I have been able to go back to Camp Happy Times and volunteer as a counselor. I have now been able to share my memories and hear about my campers’ experiences while being treated at a Valerie Fund center.

With help from The Valerie Fund’s scholarship program, I was able to complete my college education and become a certified Early Childhood Education teacher. I also went on to graduate school and have a M.A. in Special Education. Within the past 5 years I have worked as a Special Education Teacher. Currently, I work in Early Intervention as a Special Educator/Developmental Interventionist (DI), with families and their children from birth-age 3, who have developmental delays in: speech and communication, learning, adaptation, and/or physical and fine motor skills.