The Unexpected Burden of Cancer and Medical Debt
At 17 years old, there was a lot I didn’t know about the world. I didn’t know what college I would attend, what I would major in, or what dress I would wear to prom. Even so, the unknown was exciting, one filled with possibilities that I welcomed and prepared for eagerly. I was an overachiever, balancing my time between my full IB class schedule, serving as leader of conservation club and a member of six others, and applying to colleges all at the same time.
I was so busy between all my activities that getting a full night’s rest was the least of my worries. That’s why, when I started to fall asleep in class, I didn’t think anything was wrong. I only went to the doctor after fainting in public, even then I barely suspected anemia. The next day I was rushed to the children’s hospital where a doctor told my parents and me, “It’s blood cancer; leukemia.”
In just one day, my world completely changed. I went from scheduling meetings with my clubs to scheduling appointments with a team of doctors. I stopped attending class in person and started to attend a slew of different medical appointments.
Perhaps most devastating, was to see the future I had built towards so carefully, taken away from me.
Day by day, I took on the physical and emotional effects of my diagnosis, but there were financial burdens to take on as well. As much as my family and I wished for the world to stop until we could adjust to our new lives, everything kept going, and the bills kept coming in.
My parents had no choice but to continue working full-time jobs while caring for me. They took on alternating schedules so there was always someone to take me to the hospital, but it also meant they rarely got to see each other. My brother, who was only a freshman in high school at the time, had to suddenly adjust to taking care of himself. He bounced from caretaker to caretaker, never sure who would pick him up from school if one of my appointments went long.
Not only were we left to deal with the expected expenses of treatment, but we struggled to find ways to pay for all the unexpected costs that came with it. The trip from my home to the hospital took almost an hour, which meant we had to pay for gas and hospital parking passes nearly every day. Long days at the hospital often meant we had to buy food there as well.
The expenses truly seemed never-ending, and we still deal with the financial repercussions of my treatment to this day. Any money that could have been saved for my educational future was instead put towards hospital bills that promised only a chance I would live to see any future at all.
How Cancer for College Helps Young Cancer Survivors
I don’t share my story because it is unique, but because it is one shared by so many. When I was 17 years old I became one of 15,000 children who face a cancer diagnosis each year. My parents became part of the 94% of parents caring for a child with cancer who make work-related sacrifices. This is why foundations like Cancer for College, and all the resources they offer, are life-changing.
By the time I was supposed to start college I was still going through chemotherapy treatment, forcing me to change my educational plan. Instead, I started completing my general education classes online through my local community college. It had been so long since I was last healthy enough to be in a classroom setting that I barely knew where to start, much less how to finance it all. Since I was still undergoing treatment, I was able to receive accommodations from my school, which allowed me to turn in assignments late. But no one prepared me for how difficult it would be to find support outside of class. It was difficult to find a community at school when my time was spent in online classes. Which meant things like financial resources and academic advising were out of reach most of the time.
After I transferred to San Diego State University, the cost of my education seemed even more insurmountable. I had already planned to take out a loan, and had accepted that I would have to face student debt and the trials of cancer survivorship after I graduated. Thus, the day I found out I would receive a scholarship from Cancer for College was one of the happiest of my life.
The financial assistance gave me so much more than a way to pay for textbooks—it lifted a weight off my shoulders. The money allowed me to focus on my academics and internship opportunities, instead of having to work while studying. Thanks to having most of my tuition covered by the scholarship, I was able to take an almost seven month long internship opportunity with Make-A-Wish. I never had to worry about whether it was paid or not, because I knew I had the financial support to take it on.
Finding a Supportive Community Through Cancer for College
Cancer for College didn’t only provide me a scholarship for cancer survivors, but a community as well. Being diagnosed with cancer at 17 put me in an in-between spot, where I was too old for the groups my pediatric hospital offered but too young to relate to outside adult groups. Cancer for College provided a perfect middle ground that I wish I had had while going through treatment. I was invited to attend the Surfer Girl Surf Pro event in Oceanside along with other Cancer for College Scholars. We had the chance to attend a concert, meet donors and, most importantly, meet other young cancer survivors who had lived through the same things we did. Despite the trials it took to get there, I felt so happy and grateful to have finally found such a supportive community.
I didn’t expect to be diagnosed with cancer or face a lifetime of mental, physical and financial challenges that follow. But I also didn’t expect to receive a Cancer for College scholarship that would completely change my financial and educational future. I didn’t expect to be presented with services ranging from medical debt relief to career counseling. Finally, I didn’t expect to find such a beautiful community in Cancer for College.
Building a Bright Future, Despite Cancer
I never imagined that I would find my life’s purpose while I was fighting cancer at the age of 17 but, as I underwent intense chemotherapy treatments and then the difficulties of survivorship, I found immense support in nonprofits like Cancer for College. They provided more than scholarships or financial relief, they gave me a community of hope and support that helped me get through my darkest days.
It is because of these groups that I dream of working in the field of nonprofit public relations. Specifically, I would love to work for any nonprofit that serves the cancer community. I want to spend my career giving back to the same community that gave so much to me when I needed it most.
Thanks to the support I have received from Cancer for College, I will be graduating from SDSU this spring with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations. My personal experiences have left me sure that the nonprofit world is where I want to work for the rest of my life. Now more than ever, I am excited to see what the future holds.
If you’re a cancer survivor struggling to deal with medical debt, check out our medical debt relief program here, or apply for a scholarship here.
Aimee De Luna is a Leukemia Survivor, Cancer for College Scholar and Cancer for College Social Media Intern since January 2025. She studies journalism and public relations at San Diego State University and dreams of working in nonprofit public relations.
