When Samantha was only 2, her parents discovered a lump on her arm. After the family’s local hospital in Erie failed to uncover a diagnosis, Samantha’s parents brought her to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh for treatment.
At UPMC Children’s, 2-year-old Samantha was diagnosed with cancer. She had a complex combination of rhabdomyosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma.
Meeting Dr. Tersak
Over the course of the next year, Samantha experienced multiple surgeries, extensive chemotherapy, and radiation treatment.
It was during this time that she first met UPMC Children’s oncologist Jean M. Tersak, MD.
To this day almost three decades later, Samantha and Dr. Tersak remain close. “Dr. Tersak means everything to me!” Samantha says.
Safe and Welcoming
For the past 25 years, Samantha has been a patient at UPMC Children’s. Now 26, she explains that the hospital has always been a safe and welcoming place for her.
While Samantha has been cancer-free for many years now, she continues to receive head-to-toe annual assessments through the hospital’s Survivorship Program.
Dedicated to meeting the unique physical, social, and emotional needs of survivors of childhood cancer, the Survivorship Program led by Dr. Tersak has been a consistent source of support in Samantha’s life.
She notes, “In addition to providing me with specialized medical care, the Survivorship Program also offers resources and assistance. They help me stay on top of my health.”
The Best Thing
In just the past few years, Samantha has experienced several significant life events. Throughout it all, Survivorship remained a constant.
In 2020, Samantha graduated college with a degree in Developmental Psychology. A year later, she married her husband. Two years after that, the couple relocated from Erie to Charleston, West Virginia. And in June 2023, Samantha experienced her biggest milestone yet when she became a mother.
“I told Dr. Tersak I was pregnant before I even told my family,” she shares with a laugh. “We’ve been through a lot together.”
Samantha goes on to explain that survivors of childhood cancer often face infertility issues as a result of cancer treatment. “My son Spencer is the best thing that has ever happened!” She continues, “I’m just so thankful to have him.”
From Surviving to Thriving
Samantha currently works as a nursing assistant on the pediatric floor of a hospital near her new home in West Virginia. She is also back in school, studying to become a registered nurse.
Samantha’s dream is to work as a nurse treating children battling cancer. “I know I can be an inspiration to these patients,” she states. “That’s why I decided to pursue nursing.”
The Survivorship Program continues to be a vital resource for Samantha and so many others. “The Survivorship team has been there for me to help with all aspects of my life. They make me realize that I am not alone in this. And that’s so important for survivors like me.”