Meet Isa M.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia 

Isa was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Pre-B Subtype, at the age of 2. After being misdiagnosed with a common virus twice, she was admitted to the hospital and later diagnosed with ALL. After more than two and a half years of treatments, and almost five years post-diagnosis, Isa went into remission; today she is cancer free. Growing up she grappled with terms like “strong, brave, hero, survivor” and the weight of expectations she felt with those titles. However, when she began working with The Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, she says it allowed her to realize the power of owning and sharing her story. She is currently studying Political Science, Spanish, and Humanities & Law at UC Irvine, with the goal of pursuing a career in health law, and is the current President & Founder of the UCI LLS OnCampus club.

Meet Darlene V.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia   

Darlene was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in November 2022 after her initial symptoms were misdiagnosed as sciatica, then lymphoma for which she was treated with chemo, before a bone marrow biopsy ultimately confirmed it was AML. During the last two years, as part of her ongoing treatments, Darlene has been in and out of the hospital for chemotherapy, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant - just to name a few. Though being away from her children and missing key milestones has been challenging, she credits them, her mother, her sister, and her faith for getting her through treatment. Someday, Darlene hopes to write a book.