2024 Recipients

Annaruth Diller

Since I was a young child, I have experienced intermittent times of being unwell. Random, seemingly unconnected symptoms were chalked up to anxiety, chronic sinus infections, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fibromyalgia, chronic strep, migraines, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Nothing ever seemed drastically off in bloodwork or imaging, so I continued living in ever-increasing physical pain.

In September 2021, I started experiencing unbearable pain in my lower neck; again, blood tests were not showing anything significant. I was about to be dismissed when I insisted imaging be done, as I did not feel like I could live with the intense pain that was increasing daily. A CT was ordered, and a partial occlusion of the left carotid artery was found. By the next morning, I had a diagnosis, Takayasu’s arteritis (TAK), an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the artery walls. I was immediately put on high-dose prednisone to hopefully reduce the inflammation and prevent a stroke or aneurysm. It did not respond as expected and I now have inflammation in my right carotid and aorta. In addition, while receiving diagnostic tests at the National Institutes of Health, a second autoimmune was discovered, sarcoidosis, which is attacking my lungs and surrounding lymph nodes. Since that point, I have spent hundreds of hours being tested, scanned and treated by multiple doctors. The TAK has remained treatment-resistant and in February 2024, during my last chemo infusion, I experienced a severe allergic reaction to the medication, causing me to go into anaphylactic shock. TAK has no official treatment; everything done to treat it is considered experimental, which disqualifies me from being able to receive medical assistance. I have continued to work full time from home to pay for my private health insurance and deductibles, and to provide my three children with as much of a normal childhood as possible. We remain hopeful that we will find a medication that will slow down the disease’s progression, as remission is not a possible outcome for TAK, and that the sarcoidosis will stay confined to the current area.

Ava Rose Walschburger 

Our sweet Ava Rose came into this world with loud and boisterous cries of joy, making her presence known very early on. She was a vocal powerhouse who spent so much of her time singing. She would learn the lyrics to every song she enjoyed at an early age. I can remember her dancing in her car seat to music and trying to sing along long before her vocabulary could keep up. Once in elementary school, she joined the chorus, knowing that someday she wanted to be a singer.

Sadly, after a few years of seeing cognitive and physical changes in Ava, we received the devastating news that our 13-year-old daughter had been diagnosed with Juvenile Huntington's disease. HD is a genetic, terminal, neurodegenerative brain disease that mimics Alzheimer’s, ALS and Parkinson’s disease combined. The life expectancy after diagnosis is around eight years, with no cure and no medicines to slow progression. 

Ava has rapidly lost her ability to walk and remember things, and now has difficulty speaking. Huntington's has robbed her of so much and has impacted every area of her life. However, one thing that remains constant is that HD has not robbed Ava of her hope, courage or laughter. Her infectious smile brings joy to so many. She herself will tell you she is a “JHD warrior” and that she won't stop fighting Huntington's disease or singing for as long as she can.

We love you, Ava!

Robin Strawser  

In July 2020, a diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma delivered a crushing blow, accompanied by the heart-wrenching news of having a mere three months to live. The doctor's somber apologies in that waiting room marked the onset of an agonizing journey, punctuated by the acknowledgment that nothing could be done, urging me to prepare for the worst.

Opting for chemotherapy in September 2020, the initial hope of a year to a year-and-a-half of life emerged. When chemo's efficacy waned, a referral was made to the Foxchase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. Three years later, having faced multiple surgeries (including one that targeted cancer encroaching on my spinal cord), procedures, chemotherapy and radiation, I remain alive and hopeful.

Undeterred, I persist in this relentless fight. This journey encapsulates resilience, medical advancements, and an unwavering determination to defy the constraints of a dire diagnosis, affirming that the fight against cholangiocarcinoma is far from over.

Cana Booth

 In February 2019, at 15 months old – and after much pleading and searching for a doctor who would listen – Cana was diagnosed with a golf-ball-sized brain tumor/ependymoma in her fourth ventricle. Cana underwent emergency surgery, and the entire tumor was able to be removed. Surgery was followed up with 37 rounds of targeted radiation. From day one, she amazed her family and her doctors with how well she recovered!

Unfortunately, last April, at 5 years old, Cana was diagnosed with a metastatic ependymoma recurrence. After two brain surgeries in June, she began an intensive off-trial treatment regimen in July. This regimen requires lots of driving between Lancaster and Philly – three times bi-weekly, plus MRI’s, pharmacy, and many ER/unexpected trips. While nothing is considered curative, this treatment will continue until it ceases to be effective, which could be next month or next year. Cana is scanned every two months, and at the time this was written, has remained stable.

While battling this awful disease, her family continues to keep her quality of life front and center. It is a delicate balance, but despite everything, she has remained her fiery and spirited self! She has a bit of a reputation around the oncology clinic for being one of the easiest patients! Her family works hard to maintain normalcy for all the kids and relies strongly on their faith and wonderful community that has walked alongside them. Cana loves Irish dancing (especially with her big sister), Jesus, all things Disney, and trying to keep up with her big brothers on the hockey rink! She has fought way more than just cancer in her short life and is a warrior in more ways than one!

Roland Anderson

 Roland was born in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve 2020 to parents Julia and Donnie Anderson. He is their first child together and the first brother to three doting sisters. Roland loves painting, making pancakes and playing with his cars and Duplos. He is also very fond of watching all the different types of vehicles go past his house: the school bus his sisters ride, the trash and recycling trucks, the police cars and ambulances, and his favorite, the fire engines. In past summers, Roland has enjoyed swimming at the pool with his sisters and vacationing in Cape May Point with his grandparents.

Roland could often be found playing outside while his mom worked in the yard. The two would walk the dog together behind their home, no matter the weather. Then, suddenly, in August of 2023, Roland developed a limp. He didn't have an accident or any other symptoms and his family was hopeful it could be chalked up to "growing pains." Time marched on and his limp persisted. X-rays and blood work didn't return any alarming results, so an ultrasound of his hip was ordered. Before he could be seen for his ultrasound, he woke up with a high fever and was now complaining of pain, so his parents brought him to the emergency room. 

Roland was admitted to the hospital on September 1, 2023, and based on an MRI of his pelvis and legs, he was treated for what appeared to be a bacterial infection that had spread to his bones. An orthopedic surgeon performed a biopsy on his femur to determine the specific pathogen and they began treating him with a broad-spectrum antibiotic.

Roland seemed to perk up from the treatment and after five nights, he was discharged with just the one prescription for ongoing antibiotics. Two days later, on a beautiful Friday morning in September, the orthopedic team at the hospital finally received the results from his biopsy and called to break the news that Roland would have to meet with an oncologist. Cue, longest weekend ever. 

The Andersons met with Roland’s oncology team on Monday and, with the information provided from the biopsy, along with his symptoms, they suspected he had neuroblastoma. He was scheduled for an outpatient CT scan of his entire body that Wednesday, but because his pain seemed to be worsening by the day, he was admitted that afternoon.

The CT scans showed a mass the size of a grapefruit atop his adrenal gland, nestled in between his organs in such a way that it couldn't be seen from the outside. Biopsies of that mass and his pelvis were ordered immediately and by Saturday evening, those biopsy results confirmed that Roland did, in fact, have neuroblastoma, which had metastasized to bones all over his body, classifying him as high risk. A later CT of his head and neck would show that the bone lesions were also present in his skull. 

Roland began chemotherapy the following Monday and was able to wean off pain medication within a couple of days of starting treatments. As of February 2024, he has undergone five rounds of chemotherapy, a stem cell collection, tumor resection, an additional biopsy of his pelvis, his first of two bone marrow transplants, and various other procedures including over two dozen blood and platelet transfusions.

Roland will need a second bone-marrow transplant, four weeks of daily radiation treatments and several months of immunotherapy. He currently has a g-tube for nutritional support and a central line catheter for all of his many IV medication and blood-transfusion needs, which means he will not be able to swim or visit the beach this summer. As a family, the Andersons have been blessed with on-going support from friends, neighbors, their jiu-jitsu family at Gracie 717, and Grace Cancer Care Ministry, which has provided countless dinners, holiday meals, gas cards, lawn care and even tutoring. They look forward to Roland making a full recovery and being able to do normal everyday things as a family once again. 

Carol Martin

 It started with an annual physical, after not feeling well for about a week. Lab work revealed that I had hypercalcemia of malignancy, and I was admitted to the ER. On November 19, 2023, after further testing, I was diagnosed with diffuse large b-cell lymphoma with a double hit. This came as devastating news, since we had tragically lost my girls’ father and grandbabies’ pawpaw three years earlier.

So began the cancer journey. Due to the aggressive type of cancer I had, intensive treatments were required. There would be six rounds of six days in the hospital every three weeks. Each round would consist of 96 hours of constant chemotherapy. I was unable to work during this time and unsure of how I would make ends meet. My kids, family and friends were instrumental in helping me get through another rough patch.

After three rounds of treatment, a PET scan revealed that my cancer was gone. However, I still needed to complete the next three rounds just to be sure. This journey has been a learning and faith-growing adventure. Miracles do happen!  I have been blessed in so many ways and will continue to pay it forward.