I believe in human rights. I like going to art shows. I love learning about psychology. I am a hypochondriac with leukemia. On December 3rd, 2003 I was rushed to the emergency room with chest pains. I was living at my grandmother's and woke her up at 7:30 in the morning and told her she had to bring me to the hospital because I felt like I was having a heart attack. I walked into the emergency room wearing these blue Puma shoes and green cords. Everything felt blurry and I could barely sign my name. I know that when my Aunt arrived, she requested they give me morphine. Morphine is amazing especially when someone is telling you, "You have leukemia."


I was told that I would need to stop school, be hospitalized for four to six weeks and start chemotherapy as soon as possible. I transferred from my local hospital to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ. This was this best move and for this, I thank my father. (I fought with him about it at the time) I was told I would lose my hair, and it looks like I definitely did. I went through six months of treatment with five rounds of chemotherapy. Many people turned their lives upside down to help me out. I finished treatment in May of 2004. My hair started to grow back. I slowly recovered and moved to Boston, MA. I continued my care at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, which is also an amazing Cancer facility. My white blood cells decreased in July of 2004, but after a bone marrow biopsy, everything still looked clear and I was still considered in remission.


I moved back to the New York City area in December of 2004 to attend Eugene Lang because there is no other college like this one. My teachers and everyone at Lang have been amazingly supportive. I was living my life and spending time with friends and family. I went to the doctor in September 2005 to get my monthly check up and my White Blood Cells were only at 1.4. This is very low. A normal individual is usually at 4-10. I had a bone marrow biopsy that showed there were 5% leukemic cells in my marrow. The only option I have to achieve a cure is now a bone marrow transplant.


When nothing else inspires me, this little girl Taylor, my niece makes me fight harder. I want to watch her grow up. And I will.