It was flu season and I thought I came down with the flu.  It was going around and it took a long time for me to recover. My parents and I went to my pediatrician who said, ‘Grace, you don’t look so good’.

I was 12 years old in January 2015, when my parents and I went to Texas Children’s Hospital and I was diagnosed with myeloid dysplastic syndrome which is an early stage of acute myeloid leukemia. I was in 7^th grade and a competitive cheerleader. I missed the second half of 7^th grade and the first half of 8^th grade. I didn’t understand the seriousness of what was ahead.

For months, I had frequent hospital visits and transfusions while waiting for a bone marrow transplant donor. I received my transplant in April of 2015, so not too long of a wait, and thankfully, I only received about 9 days of intense chemotherapy.

I think my first memory after getting the diagnosis is texting one of my friends to tell them I had cancer because they were like, ‘Where are you, why aren’t you at practice?’ Word spread and everyone at school found out. My gym and whole cheer team decided to dedicate their season to me and made “Do It For Grace” posters and signs. That was cool.

During the month-and-a-half-long hospital stay at the bone marrow transplant unit, His Grace Foundation gave us a lot of support.  We received a big basket as soon as we arrived on the floor. It had a lot of books, games, and family essentials we needed. This helped because we didn’t plan or know how long we would be at the hospital. At the time I was really into Monster High dolls so they would always bring me one to add to my collection on my window.

They also gave us catered meals, even on my transplant day.  I couldn’t eat, but my parents enjoyed them. His Grace really created a sense of community for us so we never felt like we were alone or that we were asking too much if we asked them to bring us something. They kept me and my family strong.

When I returned home after the hospital, volunteer teachers came to me, brought me my work, and tried to teach me as best they could. I struggled to catch up.

When I went back to school on campus, I returned to 8^th grade. It was very challenging. I needed multiple tutors outside of school because I needed more support to learn what I missed and what other students got in class every day.

During this time, I also discovered my love for baking. I opened No One Bakes Alone, a little cupcake shop that I ran out of my house with the help of my dad who was also my assistant baker. I was excited to bake and give our profits to His Grace Foundation, Be the Match (now the National Marrow Donor Program), and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Today, I am proud to say that I graduated from high school, went to college, and graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in May 2024.  I live in Houston with my cat Emma and work as a registered nurse at Memorial Hermann Hospital.