From Engineer to Fighter: Jamie's Battle Against Leukemia

In May 2024, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and was excited to move from California to Missouri for a job opportunity. It was a major milestone—not just professionally, but personally. After years of hard work, late nights studying, and overcoming challenges, I was finally stepping into the future I had worked so hard for. I felt proud, hopeful, and eager to begin this new chapter of my life. Over the next few months, I began settling into a new routine, adjusting to a new job in a new city and living with my sister and our two elderly dogs.

On December 31st, New Year's Eve, I was supposed to be celebrating my first New Year away from home, starting fresh, making memories, and looking ahead to all the possibilities of the coming year. Instead, I was rushed to the Hospital due to feeling lightheaded, having difficulty breathing, and almost passing out. After my blood was drawn, it took about 20 minutes before a nurse came out to the waiting room and told me I couldn’t leave the ER. Once I was moved from the waiting room into the hospital, I received the official diagnosis: Leukemia.

Everything after that felt like a blur. Before I knew it, I was being transferred to the University of Kansas Medical Center, which specializes in cancer treatment.

During this time, I called both my HR manager and location manager and informed them about my diagnosis. I was immediately put on leave due to being hospitalized. I remained in the hospital for about a month and six days. During that time, my white blood cells dropped significantly from chemotherapy, leading to complications including a tooth infection, recurring fevers, rashes, and severe leg pain. Because of these health challenges, I was unable to return to work, and I had to rely on both my savings and the paycheck I had received from work.

On top of everything, being far from home and away from my support system has made this journey even more difficult. Moving to Missouri was supposed to be a new beginning but facing a life-threatening diagnosis without the immediate comfort of family and lifelong friends has been incredibly isolating and stressful. The emotional toll of going through treatments alone, while trying to stay hopeful, has been just as challenging as the physical symptoms. Eventually, the weight of it all became too much, and I was officially diagnosed with depression, something I am still working through as I continue treatment.

Now, with my short-term disability benefits ending and my job officially placing me on unpaid leave, the financial burden is becoming overwhelming. The added stress of worrying about how to pay for rent, food, gas, and insurance weighs heavily on me. These financial hardships not only increase my anxiety and depression, but they also threaten to delay my recovery.

I am doing everything I can to fight this disease, but I can’t do it alone. If you could find it in your heart to donate, it would mean the world to me. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story.