Discus Awards

If you want to read more about Kelly's experience, read her journal on her CaringBridge.

Hello everyone! I hope that your holidays have brought you peace, love, and happiness!

When I was diagnosed on June 24th, 2008 with Severe Aplastic Anemia my life completely changed. I was going to be a freshman in high school, one of the most exciting times of a person’s life! Severe Aplastic Anemia is a very rare blood-related disorder which is NOT cancer. My body still produced healthy cells, but the disease didn’t make enough cells in my bone marrow so I eventually would have run out and died.

Luckily, I had a ton of family and friends supporting me every step of the way, so I didn’t have to go through it alone. It was heartbreaking news to everyone around me and my family and I were devastated. I couldn’t stop talking about finally going to the same school as my sister! My school was very cooperative and sent homebound tutors; but I, with the help of my mom, taught myself all of my classes. I didn’t feel sorry for myself and flaunt this hardship around for pity because I am an extremely strong individual. I realized that God only gives the hardships to people he knows can handle and push through them. Boy did he choose an excellent person! I not only have been in remission for three years, my body responded to all the medicine without any major side effects!

Yes I got throat sores, my hair fell out, and I was so weak that I needed help walking anywhere, but I was blessed that I took my sister’s bone marrow she donated to me with no complications! When people started coming up to me and saying I was their hero and the strongest person they knew, I took it upon myself to help others going through similar situations. I volunteer at Camp Rainbow every summer to be a role model for the kids who have cancer or life-threatening blood disorders like I had. It is the most rewarding week of my summer and I couldn’t be happier to show the kids that everything will be okay in the end and to just keep fighting the horrible setback they have been burdened with.

Balancing schoolwork, overcoming the disease, and hanging with friends was really a struggle! Whenever I had enough energy in the hospital, I would knock out a few subjects. I always made sure to do science in my treatments because the doctors knew all the questions! I couldn’t hang out with any friends if they had been around anyone sick in school or at home, so it was a miracle when people came to my house! I was still weak, so they couldn’t be over very long anyways before I fell asleep on them! Sorry guys! :P

I have learned that life is much too short to worry about petty things. You don’t need hair to have a great time either because I had a wonderful time being bald! And now I live by this motto: “Today I will overlook the bad, see the good, and be the great!” It pushes me to be the best I can be, never give up, and look for the positives in every situation.

Filed under: Kelly Eastman • All-Around High School Students • Meet the Discus Winner