Sarah Kicks Cancer's Butt!

Hello all. I'm Sarah, also known as NinjaGrace on some other sites. I'm twenty years old. Before I was diagnosed with cancer, things were very bright. I was seventeen and a junior in college, a Tae Kwon Do instructor, a sister, a believer in Jesus Christ, a cow showman, a muzzleloader champion, and many other things.



I have been diagnosed with Neuroblastoma for nearly three years now. Neuroblastoma is a very scary illness, especially for adults. It is a pediatric cancer that is mainly seen in children under three. My doctors have yet to explain why I lived, even though I was misdiagnosed many times in eighteen years.


I went through many, many rounds of chemo, immunotherapy, and even IV MIBG radiation that kept me isolated in a lead room for nine days. Only one of the treatments truly worked, and it was so painful that I was high on painkillers for a week at a time during that treatment. I still am on chemo pills, which are far better than their IV counterparts.


I've had many surgeries, including one where they took a tumor from my ribcage out, along with an entire rib and many major nerves on my left side. It left me with a pain pump in my belly. To tell the entire story would take hours and hours, but just know that it has been very hard for many people, including my seven-pound kitty, Sasha Yzma.




Now, the cancer has been staying still. Not growing, but not shrinking either. The spreadability is definitely going down thanks to the Nepenthe trial that is run by Dr. Mossé in Philadelphia. We honestly don't know how long the pills will last. I will always go back to Philadelphia to get scans every month to every two months. I'm still a Stage IV Neuroblastoma patient, and we have to make sure that nothing malfunctions or starts to grow. But all of this costs a lot of money that I do not currently have.


The thing is that I'm unable to have a job, and my SSI payments are not enough to help me move out on my own. I am also unable to drive for medical reasons. But I would like to be on my own for however long I have left so that I can have that experience in my life. I want to start yoga and swimming classes so that I can eventually get much healthier. I want to bring my kitty to my apartment, give her toys and food, and have some left over to have my very own place. Donations will also help with groceries, plane rides, a trip to Philadelphia for treatment, medical bills, and rent. My hair is back, and I have some strength, and I want to use however long I have left to praise the Lord, have fun, and write and read to my heart's content.
Donations will also go to me having my own place, and be able to have the quality of life that will help me to improve myself. I want to start writing a book, a musical, and I also want to be more artistic.
I want my kitty to join me in my apartment. I want to start swimming and yoga classes so I can get healthy again. I want to buy food for myself. I want my family to not have to pay my bills, or even for my trips back and forth to the hospital. I want to be able to pay for transportation without worrying about breaking my bank account. There's more in my mind that is causing worry and stress, but just know that any amount of money counts. Please know how grateful and thankful I am for you.