Emily Austin

Emily Austin was born April 23, 1993 in Orem, Utah. Emily was diagnosed with Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in September of 1998. She was only five-years-old and had just started kindergarten. Emily went through chemotherapy for two years. Then in 2002 her Leukemia relapsed. She is going through chemotherapy now and will finish in October of 2005 at the age of twelve.

Emily’s Leukemia presented itself in the form of bruises on her body. At first the bruises were thought to be caused from playing hard with her brother or at school. A friend of the family, who was a nurse, noticed the bruises and suggested that Emily be seen by a doctor. Emily was seen by her pediatrician the next day. He said the bruises were caused by a low platelet count and sent Emily over to the hospital to have blood work done. The tests showed that Emily’s platelet count was about 44,000 (normal count range from 150,000 to 450,000). Her red blood count was also low. With that information, her pediatrician called the Hematology/Oncology department at Primary Children’s Medical Center. The department directed the pediatrician to watch Emily over the weekend and repeat the test on Monday. On Monday her platelets had dropped to 22,000. Emily was then sent to Primary Children’s Medical Center for further testing. After testing a sample of her bone marrow, Emily was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and admitted to the hospital to begin chemotherapy. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia is a progressive, malignant disease characterized by large numbers of immature white blood cells that resemble lymphoblasts. Most cases seem to have no apparent cause. However, radiation, some toxins such as benzene, and some chemotherapy agents are thought to contribute to the induction of leukemia. Abnormalities in chromosomes may also play a role in the development of acute leukemia.

Emily is an inspiring little girl. The Gygi's, her neighbors, had this to say about Emily, “Em, if you're fortunate enough to get to meet her, you may intially think she is shy. The reality is that Em is quietly assessing, she's bright, talented, and very capable. Emily is beautiful, she is a young woman who shines from within. Emily's confidence is admirable considering the fear she has learned to live with. She has learned about her body, her physical, emotional, and spiritual self in a way most don't learn until they are much older and mature. Em must be a bit anxious about the passage of time. For her it moves slowly; cancer has brought a whole new meaning to “taring too long”.”

I chose Emily as my hero because I admire her courage and faith. I can't imagine how hard it would be to develop cancer and go through chemotherapy, especially at Emily's age. I look forward to seeing her every Sunday at church. She has such a sweet spirit and is a great example to me. I hope Emily knows how much everyone loves her, because she truly is an angel.

Emily also has her own heroes. They are the doctors and nurses at Primary Children's Medical Center, because they help her get better.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT EMILY:
Favorite Movie- Ice Princess
Favorite Song- "Wake Up" by Hilary Duff
Favorite Colors- Purple, Pink, Blue
Favorite school subject- Math