“I didn’t really know what cancer was, but the word to me was scary.”
January 30, 2013, is a day that changed Ashtyn Poulsen’s life forever. The sixth-grader hadn’t felt well for several days, but tried to make it through another day at school. After a few hours she called her mom, Suzanne, asking to be picked up. Suzanne knew something wasn’t right and took Ashtyn to the InstaCare, who sent them to Primary Children’s Hospital. It didn’t take long for doctors to determine Ashtyn had undifferentiated leukemia; a form of cancer that can’t be identified as Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) or Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) – two common forms of childhood cancer.
Ashtyn spent much of 2013 in the hospital undergoing three rounds of chemotherapy, and more tests than she can count. In June Ashtyn’s brother gave her the greatest gift he could by donating bone marrow for her treatment.
In the beginning just the word cancer scared Ashtyn, but one thing helped carry her through every needle poke, medical test, and day in the hospital. Ashtyn and her mom spent some time reflecting on how faith and their relationship with God helped them through the past year.
Six months after her bone marrow transplant, Ashtyn shows no sign of cancer. Despite having moments of physical weakness, Ashtyn says she is better and stronger than before her cancer diagnosis. She is looking forward to returning to school in March, and reconnecting with her friends. One day she hopes to become a nurse who helps other children fighting cancer.
Ashtyn’s story was one of 43 recorded during a three-month partnership between Primary Children’s and StoryCorps. All of the recordings will be housed in the Library of Congress. Some might even air on National Public Radio.
Ashtyn’s Story is part of an ongoing series produced by Primary Children’s. To hear other stories follow the links below.
- Eli’s Story: A Parent’s Perspective on Having a Child with SCID
- Hank’s Story: A New Heart for Hank
- Sadie’s Story: The Two Thing that Helped her Through a Liver Transplant
*Produced by Sandra Orton, Communications Specialist, with interviews recorded at Primary Children’s on behalf of StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. Storycorps.org.
