Zoe weber

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On October 1, 2021, I was having a normal Friday. I had cosmetology school off that day, and I decided to go and get my nails done for fall! I love all things beauty, and I love all things self-care and Fridays we’re my days off so that’s just what I did! Meanwhile, all throughout September, I had been having chest pains, shortness of breath, and whenever I would sleep on my side there would be a crushing pain. This pain was indescribable I literally said “I wish I could rip open my chest to show you where the pain is” when I described it to my mom and dad! During my nail appointment, I got a call from my doctor's office saying that I could get a CT scan the following Friday to see what was going on. By the time I reached home, the pain was still there, and it had already been a month of this pain, I and my family started to get worried. When I got home my mom took me to the closest hospital (St Joe) at around 8 pm at night. We walked in and the line was so long I didn’t even want to wait. Thank God we waited…. they took me back for a CT scan and the doctor came in and said, “mom can I speak with you alone?” meanwhile my dad is an hour away still working and worried to death. I sat alone in the room shaking, crying, and suddenly, I hear my mom crying her eyes out from outside of the room, and from that moment I knew it was something bad. My mom walked back in with the doctor and with tears in her eyes said “Alex, they think you have cancer” I said WHAT?! I was in total shock. I already have OCD/anxiety, so we just thought it was from that. We had so many questions from there. “Was I going to die?” “What kind of cancer is this?” “Is it curable?” So many questions in such little time. Right away they put an IV in my arm (super painful) and they took me straight up to oncology. After many days spent at St Joe waiting for test results to figure out what kind of cancer this is we finally got some news. At 19 years old I am diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. This is a very rare t-cell blood cancer. Oncology said I would have to be in the hospital for months with 2 years of treatment. After about 5 days spent at St Joe, they finally transferred me to U Of M Motts Children’s Hospital. By far the biggest blessing. I didn’t have to stay in the hospital for months, just a little over a week. My oncology team at U of M Motts specializes in my type of cancer which is a blessing! While in the hospital I had a bone marrow test to see if the cancer was in my bones (it was not thank goodness) but worst pain I have ever felt. Felt like someone had beat me up in the back over 20 times. I then got more scans and a spinal tap. I have never been in the hospital for such a long amount of time, but my sweet nurses made it special while I was there. So, thank you nurses on floor 7 I will always remember and cherish you.  
 

I decided to share my story and my journey because I want to share how raw and how real cancer is and how it may take a toll on someone’s life. I want to inspire and to share positivity and to share that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and this is just a stomp in the road that won’t last forever. I am a firm believer, and I always have said “thank God even on the bad days.” I have also gotten the question “why would God do this to such a sweet, God-loving, young woman?” but I realized that God knew that I would be able to handle this battle, and He would be right next to me through it all and He has been. 

Lane Kleinglass enjoys riding his skateboard, spending time with his friends, and exploring the city. He is planning on becoming a firefighter, having received his state fire certification. Lane played soccer and lacrosse at Salem High School. In November of 2021, Lane began to experience severe pain in his leg that made it difficult for him to walk and do everyday tasks. Despite this, he continued to attend school but eventually, the pain got so severe that he went to the doctor. Scans revealed that Lane had broken his leg; however, doctors suspected that his condition was much more severe. Within four days, Lane was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. As a result, Lane had to complete three rounds of all-day chemotherapy and undergo daily radiation treatments. Lane graduated from Salem and is following in his father’s footsteps as a firefighter. Lane became a Warrior in 2021, and his VIP Event was a shoe shopping trip in the city.  

On October 21st, 2022, Peyton’s life was flipped upside down. It started in August when she developed a thick cough that she and her parents assumed was just a cold. After being treated for a sinus infection, signs of improvement rose as quickly as they vanished, when yet again her cough returned. Her father, Matthew, took her in for another appointment where he pushed for an X-Ray to be completed, even after being told her lungs sounded normal. Results from that imaging showed masses in the middle of Peyton’s chest. After speaking with her pediatrician, they headed straight for Mott Children's Hospital where she was admitted for a week. During that week, multiple scans and tests were completed, along with a biopsy. From this biopsy, she was officially diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She immediately began a 6-month treatment plan, and a PET scan delivered positive news that the treatment is working! Being diagnosed has not stopped her from participating in the activities she loves most. She continues playing volleyball, playing in the band, and volunteering in her community which has shown her so much love. Peyton is making plans for all the activities that come along with the senior year of high school and planning for her next step into college. She is contemplating studying child psychology and child development as part of a plan to become a Child Life Specialist.  Peyton's Warrior wish was a trip to Downtown Detroit with her closest friends and they took in a show at the Detroit Opera House.

Hi, I’m Maddie and I’m 21 years old and at the beginning of the year I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Although I was diagnosed in January my symptoms started to appear a week before thanksgiving. I tested positive for influenza A and was told to just rest for a week, and I would be back to normal but that wasn’t the case for me. I was having trouble breathing and felt super sick. When I went to the doctors back in November, I was told that I had fluid around the heart, lungs, and a pulmonary embolism. After doing multiple test cancer was ruled out and I was told that I was just unlucky and that this all happened from a viral infection. A month later I went back for a routine cardiac ultrasound and the fluid came back. From there I was admitted into U of M and after running some test the doctors discovered a mass behind my sternum. After performing a biopsy, the doctors told me I had a rare form of lung cancer called Sarcomatoid Carcinoma. Although the news was not great, I have always said that I will never just be a statistic and that I can beat the odds. With such a rare diagnosis, my family and I ultimately decided that a second opinion would be a good option. With the help of my amazing cardiologist, I was able to find out about MD Anderson. I flew to MD Anderson four days after I was discharged and from there, they decided to perform a biopsy and determined that I did in fact not have a lung cancer but a thymus cancer. Still a rare cancer, I was able to come up with a treatment plan and kick cancers butt. I recently had my 5th round and only have one more to go! Although this journey has been tough, I am determined to fight so I can achieve all my dreams. I’m currently not enrolled in school due to my diagnosis, but when in school I was studying Speech Language Pathology so one day I can work in a hospital to help patients who have struggled with brain injuries and trauma. Although this journey is difficult, I am grateful to have such a supportive group of people who love me and are here for me every step of the way. Maddie's wish was to enjoy her summer by having a good time, all the time, including a trip to the Outer Banks.

Having recently moved to Michigan, Andy has not experienced many Michigan winters. In January of 2023, when his mom asked him to help shovel the snow, she could not understand why a healthy young man was having trouble with this task. He was short of breath, lightheaded and lethargic. When Andy started vomiting, he was taken to urgent care. The doctor asked, “Is he always this pale?” Initial blood tests raised concerns, and Andy was admitted to the hospital for the first of many blood transfusions, tests, and scans. Three days later, Andy was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. His medical team decided that Andy, although 23 years old, would be treated as a pediatric patient at Beaumont Royal Oak Hospital.  

Chemotherapy is not easy for anyone, but Andy seemed to have an especially difficult time. He spent the next two months in between hospital stays and chemo clinic visits. The side effects of the chemo were challenging.  He had a collapsed lung, blood clots in his arm, and had nausea almost every day. It wasn’t long before he lost his hair and lost an inordinate amount of weight in a matter of weeks.  Unfortunately, Andy had to have a feeding tube to help with nutrition since the chemo took away his appetite.  One of the hospital stays was a result of being diagnosed with Covid. The bone marrow biopsy did show that the chemo was working -the leukemia is slowly leaving his body. The treatment plan is expected to take about two years. Andy looks forward to watching baseball and spending time with his family this summer.

Ava was diagnosed in January 2023 with sarcoma. She had to leave college and begin enduring 16 months of relentless radiation and chemotherapy. On June 18th, with family and her medical team by her side, Ava got to ring the bell at C.S. Mott!! 

We were planning a December 2024 Warrior Wish for Ava and her   family in Clearwater Beach Florida. Unfortunately, the hurricane season in Florida killed that. The fun part is the planning all the VIP   components of her Warrior Wish….so we look forward to delivering it to Ava!! 

Devin is a hard-working young man. Devin was diagnosed in June 2023 after breaking his arm. Turns out, his injury was related to Hodgkin Lymphoma. Devin had to leave his job and begin chemotherapy and radiation at Corewell in Royal Oak. When we had our meet n greet with Devin and his girlfriend, he told us, “This is just a speed bump in my life”.  December 2024 and January 2024 were 2 great months for Devin. We delivered his Warrior Wish on DEC 17, and in early January 2024 he got to ring the bell with his girlfriend and medical team by his side!! And…he proposed to his fantastic girlfriend.

Devin is a HUGE Lions fan. During his intro call, Devin said he wanted to go to a Lions game as his Warrior Wish. So along with 2 other of his Warrior pals and his brother and girlfriend, Devin got his Warrior Wish when the Lions beat the Vikings on December 17th. They got to spend 90 minutes in the pre-game VIP area where they snapped pics and had great conversations with many of the Lions star players. 

On October 24,2020, TJ's life changed in an instant. After multiple scans and tests and a biopsy it showed he had cancer in his left leg, and he was officially diagnosed with Stage 3 Osteosarcoma Blastoma at Beaumont Hospital. On Nov 3, he had a very aggressive round of chemotherapy to try and stop the growth of the cancer cells, but it was later determined it did not work and one month after being officially diagnosed, he had his left leg amputated. After the amputation he started began a long chemotherapy program and his cancer officially went into remission. During a monthly scan it showed the cancer came back but in his lungs. After two lung surgeries and aggressive chemotherapy infusion TJ continues to fight.