Ashley’s story of courage, perseverance, and transformation 

Ashley was the British Columbia winner of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada’s 2024 Visionaries of the Year challenge, raising more than $55,000.

Ashley’s experience with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) began in January 2021, amidst the challenges of the COVID pandemic, when she was 28 years old.

Before her diagnosis, Ashley hadn’t been feeling well for a while. In December 2020, she had left Canada to see family in Alaska for Christmas. “Due to COVID, when you returned from leaving the country you had to self-isolate for two weeks,” she recalls. “I was coughing, and would walk across a parking lot and almost pass out.” She and her family thought she had pneumonia, or maybe exhaustion as a result of a new, challenging job.

After the two-week COVID isolation period, Ashley went for a walk and found she was still getting out of breath. She promptly called a doctor who advised her to get blood work done. 

A call no one wants to receive
 

After the blood work, Ashley received a call to go to the hospital – immediately. No further information or context was provided. Once there, a health care professional came in to talk to her. “Have you heard the word leukemia before?” they asked. They confirmed that Ashley definitely had leukemia.

It was the middle of COVID and everything was on lockdown, both inside and outside the hospital. Ashley wasn’t allowed to go home, not even to drop off her car or get her phone charger – she had to call a friend for help. For the next four weeks, she had to stay isolated in a hospital room; no visitors were allowed, not even for food delivery. She had no choice but to just accept the situation as it was; her hospital room became a safe zone, in a way.

“The whole experience was very difficult, but the people caring for me became an incredible support system, like a loving family,” she shares. “The teams at VGH (Vancouver General Hospital) and BMT (Bone Marrow Transplant) are amazing and this was really showcased during COVID.”

A challenging resurgence
 

Ashley endured six months of rigorous chemotherapy treatments, leading to nearly two years of remission. But in December 2022, she had a feeling something was “off”. The doctors soon confirmed that the cancer had come back, but they had caught it early through regular blood work.
 
“Cancer treatment may seem straightforward, but as a patient you have no idea what’s going on,” shares Ashley. “Things change every day, sometimes every hour, depending on complications and how your body is responding.” 
 
The resurgence of Ashley’s cancer was more formidable than anticipated. She required three additional rounds of intense chemotherapy before she could undergo a stem cell transplant. 
 
“As difficult as it was going through chemotherapy the first time, I couldn’t have imagined how challenging the stem cell transplant would be,” reflects Ashley. “You try to mentally prepare yourself for it, but nothing I could have done would have prepared me for the transplant process.”

Cancer, a life teacher like no other
 

All things considered, Ashley had a very good transplant experience, relatively speaking. But it was completely different than her other treatments, with many very challenging aspects. “People think you get cancer, get treatment, and then you’re done and you move past it,” she notes. “But there are so many layers that someone who hasn’t gone through would have no idea about. One of the things is that you’re forced to slow down, even if you don’t want to. You don’t have a choice.” 

Today, Ashley’s blood cancer experience is still evolving – and she’s taking it one step at a time. “Cancer gives you an interesting perspective on life,” she adds. “I’ve learned that, ultimately, the only thing we can control is how we deal with and navigate whatever situation we’re in.”
    
“I’ve experienced first-hand the difference that donations have made.”

“Donor-funded research is truly making a difference and I really believe we’re on the right track to a better understanding of blood cancers,” says Ashley. “In just the three years since I was first diagnosed, testing and treatment has evolved and improved – that means catching problems earlier and saving more lives.”