Amber

“Mom, are you going to be strong enough for me? Because I’m strong.” – Amber

When Amber’s mom, Theresa, explained that Amber’s chemotherapy might cause her to lose her Rapunzel-long blonde hair, Amber burst out in tears. No way was she going through this process if it meant having a bald head. Shortly after, a father and daughter appeared in the doorway of their hospital room and asked to come in. The young girl, complete with a full head of hair, approached Amber’s bedside and whisked the wig off her head.

“See, a bald head can be beautiful too,” she said. From that point on, Amber wasn’t scared of what lay ahead.

Amber’s story is full of these tender moments. At different points in Amber’s battle with Wilms’ tumor, new people emerged with lessons to help their family. At the time, Amber lived with just her mom and older brother Christian in Santa Rosa, CA. Her fight felt unorthodox from the start, beginning with the fact Wilms’ tumor is typically diagnosed in young children.

“The doctor told me Wilms’ tumor is the best kind of cancer to get with an 80-90% survival rate,” said Theresa. “Well that’s for 3 and 4 year olds. The older you get, the less likely you are to live.”

Amber was nearing her 10th birthday when she was diagnosed. They initially hoped to simply remove the tumor since it was only stage III. Instead, the tumor ruptured during surgery, spilling into her abdomen and upgrading her cancer to a more deadly stage IV. Amber immediately started a month of treatment at Oakland’s Kaiser Hospital, which is where she met the inspiring girl with the wig.

Childhood Cancer Story - Amber — Amber is an avid artist in her free time.

Meanwhile, Amber’s mom was having trouble finding enough time off to stay with her. Theresa works at a county jail in 12-hour shifts where flexibility is limited. She burned through her accrued time off swiftly. She knew her work had a catastrophic illness policy (CIP), where co-workers could donate time to cover colleagues in extreme situations. Unfortunately, the solution wasn’t that simple.

“I called the county human resources department and they said ‘No, you would have to have the cancer to apply,’” said Theresa. “I told them it’s not like my 10-year-old daughter can handle cancer treatments on her own.”

At this point, Amber had been in the hospital 30 days, cycling through new roommates periodically. One day, Theresa was chatting about her predicament with a woman who happened to be head of HR for her county office. She said their CIP extended to other family members. Later, Theresa talked with Amber’s nurse about her difficulties, who mentioned facing a similar situation when her son needed a heart transplant. Their response was to go to the newspapers.

Theresa pondered the potential career implications of going to the press with her frustrations. The pondering didn’t last long.

“I realized that the only one taking care of my daughter is me. She needs me and I need to go to the papers,” said Theresa. “So I did.”

The ensuing article in their local Santa Rosa paper about the county’s exclusionary policy caused a swift change. Soon after, the department put out an email saying Theresa needed hours donated to help care for Amber.

Within two days, she had 1200 hours of vacation time.

Amber’s treatment continued for six months with Theresa by her side the entire time. Amber faced plenty of hardships though. Scoliosis on her back prevented her painkillers from working properly. She lost her left kidney. She continuously dropped weight until her biceps were barely as wide as her mother’s wrist. Still, her frail appearance didn’t deter Amber from fighting.

She emerged from treatment cancer-free. Now, at age 16, her scans remain clear of disease and she has found ways to give back to the childhood cancer community.

“At school, she does presentations about her story and the new and upcoming developments in cancer studies,” said Theresa. “She’s always out there talking about awareness.”

Their passion for awareness is partially why Amber’s family are such ardent supporters of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. Amber also volunteers yearly at a childhood cancer camp, connecting with and consoling others who were recently diagnosed. She even weaves baskets and brings them to kids in the hospital every holiday season.

The emotional resonance of the family’s experience spread to Amber’s brother too. Christian is in the military and recently finished RN school. He hopes to become a pediatric oncologist when his service is finished. Amber is pursuing a career in animation while filling her days with high school, night classes at Junior College and painting or drawing in her free time.

Amber’s mom is constantly supportive, even as she fights her own slow-growing cancer. Theresa’s new battle often brings to mind a moment just after Amber’s diagnosis. Riding in an ambulance from Santa Rosa to Oakland, Amber looked at her mother and asked, “Mom, are you going to be strong enough for me? Because I’m strong.”

If Amber is any indication, strength clearly runs in the family.