September is both National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Sickle Cell Awareness Month. To acknowledge both occasions, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has launched an “In Their Own Words” photo series which features five Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center patients reflecting on their experiences.
The participants in the series range from age 4 to 15 Each pose with a flag emblazoned with a term that describes how they think of themselves, including "empowering," "strong" and "brave." The gold flags represent cancer while the burgundy represent sickle cell.
Every day 43 kids are diagnosed with cancer and more than 40,000 undergo cancer treatment each year. Meanwhile, there are approximately 100,000 Americans with sickle cell disease.
Click through the gallery to hear the stories of these incredible young people.
Lana, 11, EMPOWERING:
Lana makes it clear that "cancer did not get the best of [her.]" She was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma (which is most common in infants) at the age of three. A staggering 97 percent of her bone marrow had cancer. She underwent treatment and is currently attending middle school. The 11-year-old reflects in a press release, "Throughout the journey, I learned how it empowered and strengthened not only me, but so many other people in my life... It was a chain reaction that inspired others to push through difficult times, set goals and appreciate the small things."
Emmy, 8, BRAVE
At just a week old, Emmy was diagnosed with sickle cell disease, a group of diseases which impact the red blood cells. In the past eight years of her life, she has been admitted to the hospital on numerous occasions for various complications. Her first admission was at a mere 5 weeks old.
Emmy's mom Courtney is inspired by her young daughter's fighting spirit. "Emmy blows us away with her desire to choose joy and bravery in the midst of pain that could take down grown men," she said in the release.
Luke, 15, FEARLESS
There is no fear in Luke's story. The teenager was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in February 2018 after months of symptoms. After six months of chemo, his PET and MRI show no sign of cancer.
Even during his battle he never focused on fear. “Fear is a liar! It steals your joy and happiness," he proclaims. "Throughout my journey, I was never afraid of cancer. I put my faith in God and my trust in my Aflac family to administer a treatment plan that suited my needs. On day one, I decided fear was not an option."
Caroline, 4, HOPE
In 2017, doctors found a softball-sized tumor in Caroline's brain. The procedure to remove it was very risky because there was potential she could have been left paralyzed or blind. Just seven days after the tumor was removed, she walked out of the hospital. When a new brain tumor came back in November 2017, it was removed with radiation and chemo. She undergoes regular testing to monitor her condition and her recent MRI was stable.
"Hope" is the word that comes to mind for Caroline's mom Jamie. "Hope is the expectation and desire for something to happen. Hope is trust," she states. "We expect and desire for Caroline to beat cancer and we trust that Aflac Cancer Center is the best place, leading our way through the storm of cancer ... and bringing us so much hope."
DaJean, 15, STRONG
DaJean was diagnosed with sickle cell disease before he was even born. His family moved to Georgia in 2010 so he could get better care. In the press release, his mom, Ebony, talks about how even with pain, there is still hope. "He pushes through every pain crisis like a champ and doesn’t let his illness stop him from living the best life he can live ... DaJean is living strength."
