Today has been 2 years since Olivia received life saving cells from her brother Preston! It was a family affair with lots of cousins, grandparents and Aunt Alecia all there for the day long process! This whole journey continues to be a family affair and we couldn’t be more thankful! We are so happy with how well Olivia’s doing physically, mentally and socially. Thank you for your love and support during her journey!

Olivia is enjoying her summer! She has recently been asked to join an exercise study through Indiana University! Researchers want to learn more about how one-on-one exercise with a trainer can impact the short and long term health outcomes in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors!

Due to COVID-19 this study is virtual, which saves us many trips to Indianapolis to participate! Olivia was randomly selected for the wellness coaching arm of the study (as opposed to the guided exercise arm) and spends 3 hours a week, virtually with her coach! We have learned first hand the importance to pushing through physical therapy sessions and other activity to strengthen Olivia’s body from all the treatments, laying in hospital beds and physical problems chemo has caused! She is thrilled to be part of this study to help other cancer patients!

On top of the 3 hours a week she spends on this study, Olivia also has her first real job! She works around 10 hours a week at Panache SalonSpa in Angola and loves it! With recently getting her drivers license, Olivia is pretty self sufficient these days! She also spends time with her high school tennis team practicing/conditioning as well as having private tennis lessons to catch her up from the last 4 years of little to no activity! Olivia also continues piano lessons which she’s been able to maintain nearly all through treatments the last several years!

It’s been an adjustment to have this much activity going on but Olivia is really building up her stamina! She does go to bed pretty early for a teenager but knows he body still needs extra rest! She is still on neuropathy medicine because of nerve damage in her feet but that doesn’t slow her down much! Now, we wait for the school’s plan for her Junior year of high school! As much as she hopes to go back to a normal school year for the first time since 5th grade, it’s not promising in this unique time of COVID-19!

We continue to be forever grateful for the communities support and prayers for Olivia and our family during the last 4 years! We must continue to pray for those children being newly diagnosed, those in treatment and those families that have lost their child. Many of us can not imagine any of these stages but each are devastating! We must pray to take some of the burden from these families so they can focus on creating a new normal in their lives!