COVID-19 & Cancer
- Tik Tok star Tia Stokes announces she has tested positive for COVID-19.
- Stokes has been battling acute myeloid leukemia (AML) for five months.
- Stokes has gained 1.8 million fans on Tik Tok due to her positivity and fun dances while undergoing treatment.
Stokes, 34, just announced she is in the hospital yet again, but this time for COVID-19. She says her immune system is at an all time low, and is asking for prayers as she faces this next challenge. Despite battling a dual diagnosis of cancer and COVID-19, she’s staying positive and relying on her faith.
Read MoreStokes has gained a loyal and supportive following by chronicling her ongoing battle with AML a cancer of the bone marrow. Instead of dwelling on the matter, Stokes decided to bring some positivity into her cancer fight, and posts dance videos on Tik Tok while she’s undergoing treatment, such as chemotherapy, in the hospital. Even though she’s suffered through fever, nausea, chills, and fatigue, her upbeat attitude has inspired many. So far, she’s attracted 300,000 followers to her Instagram page and 1.8 million fans on her Tik Tok channel.
What is AML?
AML is a generally rare cancer, but the most common leukemia in adults. This disease affects the bone marrow (the spongy tissue inside of your bones) and is caused by DNA damage to the cells in your bone marrow. This tissue consists of three types of cells: white, red, and platelets. White blood cells fight infections as part of the immune system, red blood cells carry oxygen to the tissue, and platelets help stop excessive bleeding. If these cells experience DNA damage, it causes an over production of white blood cells.
Symptoms of AML typically include shortness of breath, decreased exercise tolerance, unexplained bruising, or infections. However, what makes AML a particularly tricky disease is that many of these symptoms can mirror just a common cold, or some patients may not exhibit symptoms at all.
Related: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)An Overview of Initial Treatment
“Most of the time, this comes as an unwelcome surprise diagnosis,” Dr. Gail Roboz, a medical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine with expertise in acute myeloid leukemia, tells SurvivorNet. “Often, patients have no idea that leukemia is even anywhere on the radar. Sometimes patients actually have no symptoms at all and may be diagnosed in the course of a completely routine evaluation.”
Dr. Mikkael Sekeres breaks down acute myeloid leukemia
Relying on Faith During Cancer Treatment
Like Stokes, many survivors have said that their faith helped guide and encourage them through treatment. Even though it’s understandable that a person’s faith is tested after receiving a diagnosis, many were able to push through and reconnect with their higher power in order to cope.
For Danielle Ripley-Burgess, a second battle with colon cancer at the age of 25 really rattled her faith something she relied heavily on during her first bout with the disease. As someone so young, she questioned why she was facing yet another bout with the disease, and initially felt like she was being punished. "The first time I was really strong in my faith," Danielle tells SurvivorNet. "And after that second cancer, though, I felt like my faith was shattered. I didn't know what to believe anymore."
Related: "I Had A Talk With God And I Knew I'd Be Okay"
Despite feeling lost, Danielle was able to slowly stitch her faith back together piece by piece. She knew she needed it in order to push through yet another treatment process, and refused to give up.
"It's really hard to cope with," she says. "But overtime, I did begin to heal. I found words for my emotions. I had great support come into my life, and my faith was pieced together little by little. I didn't give up on it and really it didn't give up on me."
Two-time colon cancer survivor Danielle Ripley-Burgess says her faith was tested during a recurrence
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