Mile 79

Paola Arevalo’s diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma came out of nowhere. One day, 17-year-old Paola was a carefree teenager who loved twirling in her high school band, and hanging out with friends. The next day, she found herself as a patient at Manning Family Children’s.  After finding a lump in her neck, Paola sought care at the Emergency Department, and was admitted. Three days of tests and scans began, including a biopsy of the lump. “It was a whirlwind,” Paola said, recalling how she and her mom reacted with tears.

The lump on Paola’s neck turned out to be a swollen lymph node. Paola was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that affects the body’s lymphatic system which, in turn, compromises the immune system.  Paola underwent chemotherapy for her Hodgkin lymphoma every two weeks in the Infusion Center. The treatments were intense, but Paola remained determined to fight through them with the support of her medical team and family.  Paola not only felt hopeful about the care she was receiving at Manning Family Children’s, but her positivity was reinforced by Dr. LeBlanc. “He kept me motivated to keep going, even on bad days,” Paola said. “And having Dr. Nieves speak Spanish made a big difference — my parents could fully understand everything that was happening, which was great.”

On June 13, 2024, she rang that bell as hard as she could. “I felt so proud of myself. This is what I had my eye on from the beginning. This is what I wanted for myself and I achieved it,” Paola said. “I kept a positive attitude and ate lots of healthy food. I wanted to get better, and Dr. LeBlanc and Dr. Nieves helped me make that dream a reality.”  Paola graduated high school this year as part of the class of 2025!