My Story

When I was 11 years old, I began having excessive thirst which led to drinking and urinating constantly.  After one year of symptoms, I was finally diagnosed with Diabetes Insipidus in September 1999.  My endocrinologist ordered an MRI to reveal that I had a tumor wrapped around my pituitary gland.   I underwent a brain biopsy to determine that it was Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis in October 1999.  Following the surgery, I received 6 weeks of chemotherapy and prednisone.  My family and I prayed that this was something that I would grow out of, and that I would never have a re-occurrence.  But it happened.  

When I was 16 years old, I found a lump on my clavicle when I was changing one night for bed.  A needle biopsy revealed that the disease was back.  It wasn’t only in my clavicle, but also in my lungs and liver.  Over the course of my junior and senior year of high school, I underwent a year of chemotherapy and prednisone.  In January, I was officially in remission again! Praise the Lord!  I went on to attend Georgetown College in the fall following graduation.   But at the end of my freshman year, it came back.  

A lesion was found on my pelvis, and I underwent two different surgeries to remove the tumor. Luckily, that was the only location during this occurrence even though I underwent another brain biopsy to determine the pathology of another lesion in the white matter of my brain.  It was determined to not be LCH or malignant.  This lesion continues to be stable since it was discovered in 2006.  I did not let these bumps in the road slow me down.  I continued at Georgetown College and was able to graduate in four years, and was accepted into graduate school!  But another speed bump came along the way.  During the spring semester of my senior year at Georgetown, I began having back pain.  A scan revealed a lesion on my T-7 vertebrae, and a biopsy confirmed it was LCH again.  More symptoms surfaced revealing a skin lesion as well as a lesion on my jaw bone. While attending my first semester of graduate school, I endured 6 months of chemotherapy.  Following the treatment, I became disease free! And I have been since January 2010 (15 years!!!)  Since then, I have had multiple scares where reoccurrences seemed to have been certain, but I have remained disease free.  

I am now finishing my 14th school year as a School Psychologist. I stay busy spending time with my fur baby, Winston, and family and friends.  I also enjoy traveling, reading, following my Kentucky Wildcats (GO BIG BLUE), knitting, and puzzles. Through the years of attending Histio events within the Association, I have realized I’m not in the fight alone.

I’m thrilled to be participating in Histio Hike Shenandoah 2026, a fundraiser supporting Histiocytosis Association! I’m passionate about this cause and need your help! Every donation—big or small—helps me reach my fundraising goal and directly impacts this important cause.

Here's how you can help:

• Donate: Contribute whatever you can. No amount is too small!
• Spread the Word: Share my fundraising page with your friends, family, and social networks. Let’s spread awareness so we can raise more!

Thank you for standing by me in this effort. Your support means the world to me!