Celebrating During Cancer
- “90 Day Fiance” TV star Deavan Clegg shared new video that showed how her son Taeyang is doing during his leukemia battle.
- The family celebrated his 4th birthday with a trip to the aquarium and, of course, some chocolate cake.
- Taeyang was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia approximately one month after his third birthday in May 2022.
- The type of leukemia Taygan has is the type where the bone marrow makes too many immature lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell.
- A cancer diagnosis can be derailing and send you into a down-spin of emotions, whether you are the one who has been diagnosed, or if it’s someone you’re close to or are caring for, like a child.
- In an episode of SurvivorNetTV's series, “SN & You,” survivors share how they handle their mental health and cope with their emotions after undergoing cancer treatment.
Taeyang was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia approximately one month after his third birthday. Clegg shares her son with her ex Jihoon Lee, who she appeared on the American reality TV series “90 Day Fiance: The Other Way” with.
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The adorable clip starts out with Clegg asking her son how old he is, with him adorably saying he’s “60 years old.” Taeyang is seen with a blue party hat on in a room filled with colorful birthday decorations.
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Shortly after, the footage skips to the family’s trip to Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Draper, Utah, where Clegg’s family spent the day exploring and eating Panda Express, where Taeyang ate a corndog.
Taeyang appeared to have a fun-filled day, especially when he spotted a starfish in the water at the aquarium.
“We haven’t been out of the house with them in a little bit too long, so their excitement is showing,” Clegg said in the aquarium, as her boyfriend chimed in saying, “and they love fish.” Clegg added, “So they’re really excited,” before showing them visiting some penguins.
The footage concludes with Taeyang blowing out his candles on a chocolate cake at the end of his birthday.
Taeyang’s Cancer Diagnosis
Clegg took to social media to share the news of Taeyang's diagnosis with her followers on May 31, 2022.
“I have vowed to always be 100% transparent with you guys and I am choosing to share the most vulnerable and saddest point of my life right now in hopes it can help give anyone else dealing with a similar situation some strength,” she captioned her Instagram post, featuring a photo of her son playing with toys in what appears to be a hospital.
“I'm overcome with so much emotion and devastation to announce that my beloved son Taeyang who just celebrated his third birthday last month was just diagnosed with childhood cancer, b-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia just a few days ago.”
After announcing that her son had already started chemotherapy treatments, she explained, “This is every parents absolute worst nightmare and I'm trying hard to stay strong for Taeyang, Drascilla and my baby in my tummy. Taeyang will need around-the-clock hospital care and this will be a long two-year process that has a high success rate of full recovery in five years. I'm still processing all of this and asking for prayers, please.”
Meanwhile, Taeyand’s grandmother Elicia Clegg, shared in a recent update post on her grandson’s GoFundMe page, which has since raised more than $40,000, thanking everyone for helping amid this “long fight.”
She wrote earlier this month, “Right now he is stabilized, and luckily only has to go to the hospital once a month now, and gets all other treatment at home. This has been good for his emotional well-being. I will keep you all posted, but for now, today, Taeyang is doing so well, and is happy, and I was happy for him.”
“It may seem silly, but just being around other children, and running alongside them was a bit of sunshine and put a much-needed smile on his face,” she added.
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, also known as acute lymphocytic leukemia, is a rare type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow. The disease is caused by DNA damage to the cells in your bone marrow that give rise to blood cells.
Red blood cells carry oxygen to tissues, white blood cells fight infections as part of the immune system, and platelets help stop bleeding.
"(ALL) is a type of cancer that is very aggressive. It grows very fast. Within a few weeks, a few months, the person will start to feel very sick. And that's why we will have to give it an equally aggressive type of treatment to break that cycle," Dr. Olalekan Oluwole, a hematologist with Vanderbilt University Medical Center previously told SurvivorNet.
Dr. Oluwole Says ALL Is The Result Of A ‘Quiet Mutation’ That Causes Leukemia
“It is often not something that is heritable,” Dr. Oluwole explained.
“If there happens to be a pattern in a certain family, many times that may be maybe because they were in the same environment. ‘I got exposed to the same thing, right?' So it is not necessarily something that is heritable or like some of the other cancers, some of the other genes that we know about things like breast cancerALL is not like that.”
As for support after such a life-changing diagnosis, he says there are trained professionals such as case managers and hospital navigators who exist to aid people through their cancer journeys.
"Cancer is a really life-changing diagnosis and we would like our patients to know that don't have to feel as if they are on their own," Dr. Oluwole said.
Impact Childhood Cancers Have on the Family
It can be undoubtedly stressful for family members caring for a child diagnosed with cancer. In an earlier interview with SurvivorNet, Jayne Wexler, whose son was also diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, found therapy and support from other family members helpful in managing the added stress.
Wexler said, “Being a caregiver is a huge job. Fortunately, my husband and family were very supportive…it's really hard to see your child go through this.”
The Impact of a Childhood Cancer Diagnosis on the Whole Family Jayne Wexler Shares Her Story
Family support not only eases the anxiety of the cancer warrior, but the added support also offers help to their loved ones too.
Coping With Emotions
A cancer diagnosis can be derailing and send you into a down-spin of emotions, whether you are the one who has been diagnosed, or if it’s someone you’re close to or caring for, like a child.
An important way to lift your spirits is to feel those emotions and let them out. In an episode of SurvivorNetTV's series, “SN & You,” survivors share how they handle their mental health and cope with their emotions after undergoing cancer treatment.
SN & You Presents Mental Health: Coping With Emotions
Getting a handle on your mental health is important and processing your emotions is one of the first steps. Cancer survivors say that first you must let the emotions out, find your support system, and live your life.
"People that are strong cry, it's the weak ones who try to hold it in,” Evelyn Reyes-Beato, a colon cancer survivor previously told SurvivorNet.
In this episode on mental health, several women, all of whom are cancer survivors, speak about their experiences dealing with cancer and navigating life after a diagnosis. Many of these women get very emotional about what they have gone through. It just goes to show that crying and being open with your emotions are part of the healing process.
SurvivorNet has other great mental health resources for you, including more films that will inspire you.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
- Where can I seek additional support if I am struggling mentally?
- Are there any support groups in the area for people like me?
- Can you recommend a mental health professional for my situation?
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
