In January 2008, 17-year-old Ethan Aliff was watching a video. It wasn’t VH1’s top video of the month– Alicia Key’s No One, but a video about the double lumen catheter a surgeon would implant in his chest. It had been just two days since a devastating diagnosis of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia and now Ethan was emotionally preparing for the catheter surgery and inevitable onslaught of chemicals that would course through his veins and take him to the brink of death in hopes of saving his life.
Having watched his grandmother endure chemotherapy before, the young cyclist knew what lay ahead– nausea, diarrhea, losing his hair, and the loss of privacy that came with confinement to hospital room 5C07. With faith in God and a bicycle trainer to pedal away the pain, Ethan endured it all, survived, then only a few months later, learned he had relapsed. “This is it,” he thought. Whether in dying or surviving, his relationship with God would only grow stronger. Less than a month ago, nearly two years after his initial diagnosis, Ethan – cancer free – was finally cleared to ride his Giant TCR bicycle. “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” were his words to describe the pinnacle of his recovery to date. These are his words to describe his journey.
Faith in God and a Bicycle
By Ethan Aliff
I had been feeling very tired and weak for a few days before my annual physical. I was 17 back in January 2008 when I heard my doctor say, “You have Leukemia”. I was very scared, but it was comforting knowing that the Lord has always been there for me. It was like a train had hit me. I thought that this could be moving towards the end of my life. I was told to go straight to UNC Hospital. My Uncle Robert, my mom, and brother took me there that night. On my way to UNC Hospital I first called Jonathan Durham, my youth minister at Emmanuel Baptist Church. I arrived at UNC Hospitals ER, and saw Jonathan was there waiting for me. It was so comforting to see him!
Within three days of getting the catheter put in, they started intense chemotherapy. It was a long, hard seven months receiving chemo in the confinements of the small hospital room 5C07. Broughton High School sent my lessons and tests to my UNC teacher Ellen Holody so I could continue school. I really missed my friends, working at All-Star bike shop, riding my bike, and I especially missed my cat Kiki! I was able to bring my bike in, and ride it on a trainer, which helped me release stress, and anger. God gave me the strength to get me through the treatment, and put the right people there to help me. I was so happy, and blessed that I was put into remission, and able to go home in August! It felt like I had gotten out of prison.
I was so happy to see my cat Kiki, my friends, sleep in my own bed, and select the foods I had craved! I went back to Broughton High School to start my senior year. The staff and students at Broughton High School made certain to assist me with getting around the campus, and meeting all my needs. In two months I relapsed. I felt hopeless and angry when I found out my cancer had returned. God, family, and friends comforted me.
At that point I had no choice but to get a bone marrow transplant. The doctors found a ten out of ten match. The match was a twenty-two year-old female who was willing to go through the procedure of donating her bone marrow to help me. She is a special person in my life, and I hope to thank her some day. I was admitted to UNC in November for some more chemo to get back in remission. Once I got back in remission I had a two-week break at home! Then I returned to UNC to get the last chemo to prepare me for the transplant.
On February 28, 2009 doctor Jennifer Jaroscak did the bone marrow transplant, which is very much like getting a blood transfusion. I had many rough days ahead of me, and I took them day by day. I had a couple of life threatening complications, but God, doctors, and nurses got me through all of them. I was able to go home at the end of April.
In June 2009 I graduated from Broughton High School, thanks to Ellen Holody, and the school. My recovery started out by going to Physical Therapy three times a week. It was a long, slow process and I would often get discouraged, but kept pushing for my goal. I wanted to ride my bike on the road again. After a year of hard work, I am finally back on my road bike after riding my adult tricycles up and down the street. I have started riding my road bike on the trainer every day!
Throughout my entire experience of battling cancer I gained a greater relationship with God, met great people, made new friends, and had many visitors come see me. I want to give special thanks to my Mom for being by my side the entire time. It was a long tough journey, but God put all the right people in the right places, and God heard the many prayers. I have been cancer free for two years! Prayer is very powerful. My favorite verses have been Proverbs 2:5-6, Ephesians 3:8-10, Psalm 30:2, and Psalm 147:3. God is good.
