Patient Stories
First-hand survivor stories from some of our young adults who've gone through treatment at the Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program at UCLA.
Stage 4B Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Survivor
Hi! I’m Taylor and I am a 26 year old Stage 4B Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor. I was diagnosed shortly before my 25th birthday in February of 2019. I had been experiencing a stubborn cough for a few weeks and decided to visit a UCLA walk-in clinic after waking up one morning drenched in sweat. I thought I would be prescribed antibiotics and sent on my way. Boy was I wrong. It was here that they took an X-ray and I heard the word ‘mass’, as it pertained to my body, for the first time. Bloodwork led to a CT, which led to a biopsy, diagnosis, port insertion surgery, and hormone injections for egg preservation.
Emma's Story
Early Stage Triple Positive Breast Cancer
Emma Vivian was diagnosed with early stage triple positive breast cancer in December 2018, aged 29. Emma found a lump after she initiated self examinations following the cancer diagnosis of a close friend. Her treatment included fertility preservation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, bilateral mastectomy, breast reconstruction and targeted therapies. One thing that she wishes she would have known when she was diagnosed is that cancer support groups aren’t scary places!
