Cece Chase poses for a picture in her home in the midst of her cancer journey. It was from this time of her life that her whole life perspective would change forever. “[Sharing my experience] is very emotional for me and it brings me back to a time that was really hard,” Chase says about reflecting on her childhood cancer journey. | Submitted photo

Healing from the aftermath

A girl’s story of beating leukemia, working through the aftermath, and becoming an advocate.

By Grace Holmes | Reporter

T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is what the doctors said when they diagnosed a then four and a half year old Cece Chase.

Inevitable uncertainty, trauma, and pain for the foreseeable future is what they meant.

The next several months held endless treatments, a two-week coma, organ failure, experimental drugs, and the loss of her ability to walk and talk.

Chase won her fight after a long two years. Now 20, the physical and emotional damage still impacts her.

PTSD, nightmares, flashbacks, bad hips, bad knees, and asthma have all occurred later as a result of her leukemia journey, and that is simply to name a few.

This type of story doesn’t just apply to Chase, however. While still in the hospital, she met a girl fearfully refusing a treatment Chase was already veteraned to. Another little girl too young to be facing this kind of hell.

The girl’s parents had exhausted their options, so Chase used her experience to persuade the girl to receive a treatment that may very well save her young life.

Cece Chase accepts the Student of the Year award from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In 2018 Chase ran as a candidate for the Student of the Year award and raised $40,000 dollars from the event. “It was such a life changing experience for me,” Chase said of being involved in the event. | Submitted photo

Ever since Chase’s treatments ended, her heart for advocacy has only grown.

“Every single time I [share my story] I feel like I am going to vomit, and I usually cry.” — Cece Chase, Leukemia survivor

13 years, over 600 hours, dedicated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

“Every single time I [share my story] I feel like I am going to vomit, and I usually cry,” Chase said.

But she does it anyway, like she did with the girl she’d met years ago.

Bringing herself back to a place of such high emotion makes Chase more empathetic towards the patients she speaks to, expressing that it makes her grateful for the position she has now.

She never wants another soul to ever have to face what she did, so she shares the pain of what she went through and it reminds her of the passion of her cause.