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In 2008, then 7-year-old Jaziel had little energy and body strength. He lost weight and bruised easily. A doctor visit revealed difficult news for the young boy and his family: leukemia. Over the next six, long years, Jaziel battled leukemia three times. For a high school English class assignment, he recounted the events that changed his life. This is Jaziel’s story in his own words:
Have you ever had that one moment where you felt like your world collapsed on you? Mine came a little too early in my life. It was the summer of 2008. Flowers were blossoming and birds were chirping, all that fun summer stuff. I was only seven when my life-changing event happened. This is the time when you’re supposed to be carefree. For me, my childhood was interrupted by cancer, a life-threating disease.
“He has cancer.” Those were the doctor’s very words. Of course, I didn’t know what cancer was. My parents busted out in tears. I specifically remember my mom choking on her breath in shock. At that moment, it was really hard for her and my dad to control their feelings. That was the day I learned what physical pain and emotional pain felt like.
After all that craziness was over, my doctor referred us to the children’s hospital. We went straight to admissions and were told, “your room is 2107.” Walking down the hallway and seeing all those kids with no hair and surgical masks on really made me think, “What am I doing here?” I prayed for a moment, then proceeded. Walking into the room was the easy part, but then all the nurses and needles came, and that wasn’t delightful.
“Hello,” the doctor said with a really friendly voice. He then gave us the exact name of the type of cancer I had: acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Starting treatment right away was the hardest part since no one could’ve been ready without some time to absorb that shock. For what was to come next, I had to be strong — not only for myself, but also for my family. I was given harsh medications that would help cure my cancer but would make me extremely ill and required me to have blood transfusions. I was a little hesitant at first since it was my first blood transfusion. I was scared of the side effects. Little did I know that a transfusion would make me feel alive again. I went from sleeping all day to “Let’s take a 5-mile run!” A year passed and I was finally in remission. I felt like the happiest boy alive. “I SURVIVED!” I told my family with the biggest grin on my face. 
Time felt like it was endless now that I had all the freedom in the world, but that was all about to change. On a beautiful day, I went for my annual checkup. It was the usual getting blood drawn, then leaving. But this time, it felt like forever for me to get my results. Then my doctor and a few nurses walked in and said they had news. I was feeling very nervous. “You have 3% of the cancer back in your body,” my oncologist muttered very professionally. I really didn’t know how to react at that point. I just asked everybody to please leave the room.
Living life with cancer all over again wasn’t all that fun. I wasn’t allowed to interact with others, and I had to just be in my hospital room all day, every day. Another year passed; this time it felt slow. But thank God once again I was cancer-free. I was the happiest boy alive on this planet. Up to this day the memories live in my heart, helping me become the strongest, happiest guy I can be. I value life and appreciate every step of my journey being alive.
Thanks to blood donors, I received 134 red cell and platelet transfusions that helped save my life. In all, I battled leukemia three times, but now I am healthy, happy and living my dream with the help of my blood donors.
Since I was a young child, I had a dream of becoming a pediatric oncology nurse where I can use my experience to give hope to other kids fighting for their lives. My dream came true. I graduated from college, and today, I am a nurse working in the very same unit at the children’s hospital where my life was saved three times.