My name is Peyton White and I am 16 years old and a sophomore at Woodstock High School. I live in Canton, GA with my parents and two younger brothers, Nicholas and Chase. I am a setter on the varsity volleyball team and part of the accelerated academic program at my school.
On May 13th, 2019, when I was 14, I was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. I went into the doctor for an unrelated problem, and my doctor did some blood work and found my white blood cells were extremely high. We were sent straight to Scottish Rite in Atlanta where they ran additional tests, including my first bone marrow biopsy, to confirm my diagnosis. While I was there, I also learned all about my treatment which is a daily chemo pill that keeps the leukemia suppressed. There really isn’t a cure for CML, but I am fortunate that I have the ability to live a pretty normal life and participate in all the activities I enjoy.
While the prognosis for me is good, this will be something I have to fight for the rest of my life.
On that day, my outlook on life changed completely. It showed me that you need to live each day to the fullest, because you never know when the course of your life is going to change. I have struggled with the question of “Why Me” while beginning the new normal for my life. I went through stages where I was very sad, very angry, and the uncertainty of the future sometimes still overwhelms me. But I remind myself all the time of how fortunate I am to be able to live a normal, active life and how blessed that this was caught early.
I believe that God doesn’t give us things that we aren’t strong enough to handle, and because of that I feel like there’s some greater purpose for my diagnosis. One of the things that I want to do is to make sure that no other child has to go through the fear of being diagnosed with Leukemia. I want to bring awareness that cancer comes in all shapes and sizes. It does not discriminate. It doesn’t care where you live, how smart you are, how many sports you play, or if you are a boy or a girl. I began by raising money for Leukemia and Lymphoma’s Light the Night event. I got the word out about SagerStrong’s FunRun and was even awarded their first Hometown Hero award. That was just the beginning! I plan to continue to volunteer and work with organizations to put an end to childhood cancer.
I would tell anyone who is beginning this journey, there are many ups and downs. It is okay to be mad and angry, but not to stay that way long. Wake up everyday, and tell yourself something you are thankful for. Try to always look for the positives and don’t dwell on the troubles you are facing. Everyday is a blessing. We don’t know why we are handed the challenge on a cancer diagnosis, but we can use our battle to help as many other people as we can. Thank you!
#TEAMPEYTON #OurWhy — what is YOUR why?
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