High School Diagnosis
- Star of Netflix hit, Emily in Paris, Ashley Park, 29, battled acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at 15-years-old.
- AML is a cancer of the bone marrow, and is considered a generally rare cancer.
- Childhood survivors tell SurvivorNet that battling cancer at a young age can give new perspective on life.
Park was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, also known as Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), at just 15-years-old during her sophomore year of high school. AML is a cancer of the bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside of your bones. Park says at the time of her diagnosis, she immediately was afraid this disease would define her future career and identity as a performer. “I never wanted to be just the Asian girl, just the 'whatever' girl, and then I got to 16 and was the bald girl and the sick girl,” Park tells Cosmopolitan.
Read MoreDr. Mikkael Sekeres breaks down the definition of AML
Going through cancer at such a young age can really put life into perspective. Although Park doesn’t often discuss her cancer battle, she admits it’s helped her become a more empathetic person and acting helped her cope during recovery.
“I've been reflecting more about it recently, and I realize the whole putting on a wig and putting on shoes and costume and being a different person was the best escape from being just the girl who had cancer,” Park told Playbill in 2016 while promoting The King and I. “Three months after I left the hospital room in a wheelchair, I was Millie in some high school production of Thoroughly Modern Millie, [and] that was the best therapy I could ask for.”
What is AML?
Acute Myeloid Leukemia is regarded as a generally rare cancer. It’s most commonly found in adults, and rarely diagnosed in children. It’s a disease of the bone marrow, and this spongy tissue makes up the red blood cells that bring oxygen to our tissues; white blood cells that make up the immune system; and platelets, which help stop bleeding. Once the bone marrow is compromised, this stops these cells from performing their basic functions which can leave people prone to infections and uncontrollable bleeding.
Diagnosing AML can be tricky, since many times people can either be asymptotic or have symptoms that are confused for a cold. “Acute myeloid leukemia is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults,” Dr. Gail Roboz, a medical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, tells SurvivorNet. “Most of the time, this comes as an unwelcome surprise diagnosis. Often, patients have no idea that leukemia is even anywhere on the radar.”
Related: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML): How Do I Make Treatment Decisions?
Symptoms of AML can include shortness of breath, decreased exercise tolerance, unexplained bruising, or infections. However, since some of these symptoms don’t present themselves, people can be diagnosed during just a routine health evaluation.
Dr. Gail Roboz explains the symptoms of AML
Cancer As a Young Adult
Going through cancer at a young age can really give some a new perspective on life. For 16-year-old Justice Wexler, who battled acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), he says chemotherapy was one of, if not the, hardest challenge he’s ever faced. “Chemo f*cked me up,” Justice says point blank.
As a result of chemotherapy, Justice has had to deal with side-effects such as chemo induced cardiomyopathy (heart disease) and went through open heart surgery. He’s faced challenge after challenge during and after his cancer battle, but now he’s realized he’s stronger because of it.
“I have one thing I can say. If you’re ashamed of what you’ve been through, don’t be,” Justice tells SurvivorNet. “It makes you stronger as a person. While I would trade what happened to me in an instant, like if I’m failing in school, whatever, it’s like, I beat cancer.”
Childhood cancer survivor Justice Wexler talks life after the chemo experience
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.