Caregiver prepares for daughter to leave the nest after cancer

BY Cynthia DeMarco

When Victoria Collins’ 14-year-old daughter Michelle was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, the world stood still for a minute.

“I couldn’t believe what I’d heard,” Victoria says. “The pediatrician said her blood counts were low and sent us to MD Anderson to find out why. We just thought Michelle was having a side effect from some of the medicine she was taking.”

But their daughter was admitted to the hospital with a fever,...

Cancerwise blog post: Michelle and Victoria Collins

Glioblastoma survivor: Game on

BY Dean Hawkins

My glioblastoma story began on Dec. 28, 2014, when I was scheduled for my annual physical. I’d lost my dad quite suddenly to cancer eight...

Ewing’s sarcoma doesn’t keep teen from walking life’s road

BY Cynthia DeMarco

In many ways, Jacob Ballard is a typical teenager. He likes soccer, is fascinated by robots and enjoys spending time with his friends....

Sarcoma survivor finds hope in multidisciplinary care

BY Cynthia DeMarco

New York resident Zulema Arroyo-Farley originally received treatment for soft-tissue sarcoma close to home after her diagnosis in February...

Less invasive surgery gets a triathlete back on track

BY Brittany Cordeiro

When triathlete Maria Lea De Jesus was diagnosed with early stage cervical cancer in 2014 after a routine Pap test, she feared being sidelined...

A non-Hodgkin diagnosis, then 'Hope'

BY Cynthia DeMarco

It was shortly after Christmas nine years ago when Brian Ross got the phone call that changed his life.

The newlywed had just discovered...

Li-Fraumeni syndrome caregiver: “Cancer can’t have every day”

BY MD Anderson

Cancer could have easily taken over the Ferguson family by now.

Three of the family members – wife/mom Sandy and daughters Alyssa and...

Oligodendroglioma survivor: Doctor, consider it done

BY Denham Turner

“If I were your son, what exactly would you have me do?” This was my question to Alfred Yung, M.D., as I looked him directly in the eye on...

Nursing assistant doubles as daughter’s caregiver

BY Cynthia DeMarco

Elsa So had been working at MD Anderson as a night-shift nursing assistant for nine years when her daughter, Marivic, was diagnosed with ovarian...