This series is a continuation of the Life Story features in The Bolt Issue 7.

In July 2013, sophomore Noelle Reyna was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of cancer that originates in cells located within the immune system known as lymphocytes. After undergoing a biopsy, it was determined that she had developed cancer in her neck.

“It’s lightened up a little bit, but it’s still going on,” Reyna explained.

Rather than expressing feelings of sorrow or self-pity upon the discovery that she had cancer, Reyna immediately sought comfort in the good health of her brother, sister and parents.

“When I was diagnosed, the first thing I told my parents was that I was glad that it was me and not them or my brother or sister. Of course they weren’t happy to hear that and would rather it be them, but I looked on that bright side and that relieved me,” Reyna said.

Aside from the comfort of her family’s well-being, another source of strength for Reyna has been the positive influence of her mother, who has stuck by Reyna’s side without failure. Doing all that she can to be able to spend more time with her daughter, Reyna’s mother has offered an immense amount of support and continuously helped Reyna remain optimistic attending numerous chemotherapy sessions with her as well as visiting her regularly during times spent in the hospital.

“I knew that she was upset about it, but she didn’t show that. She just stayed positive with me,” Reyna said.

In terms of the greatest challenges faced during her battle with cancer, Reyna confessed to the hardest part being the homeschooling that she received last year. This she attributed to decreased social activity as well as educational issues.

“ I didn’t have the social aspect of going to school and seeing my friends on a daily basis; the people I saw everyday were my doctors and parents. It was also difficult to learn with no student-teacher interaction,” Reyna explained.

Nonetheless, aside from the downsides, Reyna has managed to derive a significant amount of knowledge both about herself and others from her experience with cancer. In addition to realizing her strength as an individual, she has also been able to form more solid relationships with some of her family and friends.

“I found out who was really there for me and who wasn’t. People in my life who didn’t care about me as much fell out of contact while others made an effort to see me or text me when I wasn’t up for visitors,” Reyna said.

Ultimately, Reyna’s encounter with cancer has largely impacted and helped shape her overall perspective and view on the world. Having dealt with such a difficult illness, Reyna has emerged from her battle ready to tackle anything life can throw at her.

“After going through intensive chemotherapy, procedures, long hospital admissions and looking death in the eye [several times], the small things in life don’t seem stressful anymore,” Reyna said. “There’s nothing that I can’t overcome and that goes for everyone; you can do anything,”

Reyna is expected to continue receiving chemotherapy until December 2016. When asked to leave others with a word of advice, Reyna wished to leave those dealing or struggling with an issue in their lives with the following message:

“It always gets better. No matter how bad you feel or how bad it seems…” Reyna said.