Arceneaux Offers Hope
- Hayley Arceneaux is a bone cancer survivor who is on the first all-civilian space mission; before lift-off, she shared a picture of her 10-year-old self when she was bald and fighting cancer.
- Crew Dragon’s mission is to raise awareness and funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where Arceneaux works and where she was treated for her cancer.
- Arceneaux was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, at 10 years old.
Arceneaux joined Chris Sembroski, Dr. Sian Proctor, and Jared Isaacman on the space mission last night departing in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule. They will tour Earth’s orbit for three days. Crew Dragon’s mission is to raise awareness and funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where Arceneaux works.
Read MoreView this post on Instagram
She continues, “This is for everyone who's ever been through something difficult, and I know we all have. Hold onto hope because there WILL be better days.”
Support poured in for her in the post’s comments. St. Jude writes in a comment on her picture, “You give hope to all of us and we can't wait to watch you break barriers and make history today.”
Haley’s Bone Cancer Battle
Arceneaux was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, at 10 years-old. Her dad advocated for her to be treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. To treat her bone cancer, Arceneaux had chemotherapy, and surgery to remove her knee and thigh bone.
Speaking to People magazine earlier this year, Arceneaux opened up about her battle, saying, “[I was] in treatment for a year of intense chemotherapy and several surgeries, including the placement of an internal prosthesis in my leg (making me the first person to go to space with one!). I understand these children [fighting cancer], I see them, and want to give them hope. My seat on Inspiration4, after all, is the “Hope Seat.”
Not Your Parents' Chemotherapy: New Solutions for Nausea, Hair Loss, and Other Chemo Side Effects
Coping with the Effects of Bone Cancer
Annually in the U.S., approximately 3,610 new cases of bone cancer are diagnosed. This type of cancer can be treated with chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation.
Bone cancer can lead to experiencing a great deal of pain, but there are ways to cope with it and mitigate it. In an earlier interview, MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Dr. Sairah Ahmed says, “The more physically fit you are going through your cancer treatment, the less side effects you’ll have and the faster you’ll get back to your normal quality of life.”
She continues, “Stress control is often something that is not talked about and is not given much weight, but there is a lot of stress, both in terms of the patient who is going through cancer, as well as the family who has to support that patient. There is financial stress. There’s emotional stress. And being able to deal with that, as well as talk to professionals when you need it, is very important. Staying on cancer treatment is the one thing that will help to cure your disease.”
How to Cope With Bone Pain from Cancer
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
