From Leukemia Patient to Pediatric Cancer Researcher: Nate’s Journey with Four Diamonds

After facing leukemia as a teenager, Nate is turning his experience into a career dedicated to advancing childhood cancer research and helping the next generation of patients.

Nate now works in a pediatric cancer research lab at Penn State College of Medicine. For him, work is more than a job. It is a personal mission shaped by his own experience with leukemia and the support he received from Four Diamonds.

A Leukemia Diagnosis Just Before College

Before his diagnosis, Nate was living a typical life for an 18-year-old. He enjoyed spending time outdoors, watching sports and playing with his dog. He was looking forward to starting college when an unexpected series of symptoms changed his plans.

After running around outside with his dog, Nate developed leg pain that he initially attributed to the activity. When the pain persisted for several days, he began experiencing headaches, exhaustion and a fever. Concerned, he went to urgent care, where doctors ran blood tests.

When the results came back, Nate was told to go to the emergency room at Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital for further evaluation.

“When we heard that we needed to go to the emergency room, we knew it was serious,” Nate said.

At Golisano Children’s Hospital, additional testing confirmed that Nate had leukemia. His blood counts placed him in a high-risk category, and treatment began immediately.

“I was just trying to enjoy my summer before college, and my whole world stopped. I’m wondering, ‘What’s going to happen to me?’ It was devastating,” Nate said.

Instead of preparing for his first year of college, Nate faced an intensive course of cancer treatment.

How Four Diamonds Helped Nate’s Family Focus on His Care

As a young adult, Nate understood that cancer treatment could come with significant medical expenses. When a Four Diamonds social worker visited his hospital room and explained how Four Diamonds supports eligible children and families facing childhood cancer, he remembers feeling relieved.

“It took a huge financial burden off of us, and we could just focus on my health,” Nate said.

Four Diamonds covers 100% of cancer-related medical expenses not covered by insurance for eligible children receiving care at Golisano Children’s Hospital. This support helps families focus on their child’s care without the added burden of those medical expenses.

For Nate, that meant his family could concentrate on navigating treatment and helping him recover.

Navigating the Challenges of Leukemia Treatment

Nate deferred college for a year as he began treatment for leukemia. Depending on the type of leukemia and an individual patient’s needs, treatment can involve several phases, including induction, consolidation or intensification and maintenance. Each phase has a specific goal, from achieving remission to eliminating remaining cancer cells and reducing the risk of relapse.

For Nate, treatment often meant extended hospital stays. What was expected to be a four-day admission could stretch into two weeks as complications or unexpected challenges arose.

“Chemotherapy is hard. It’s medicine, but it feels like poison sometimes going through your body, but it’s doing its job,” Nate said.

When he was not in the hospital, Nate spent much of his time at home resting and recovering. Without school or work to provide a daily routine, the days often felt the same.

Treatment also brought unexpected side effects. One chemotherapy medication caused an allergic reaction, requiring his care team to adjust his treatment plan. His experience reinforced an important reality of pediatric cancer care: a treatment that works for one patient may not be right for another.

Throughout this time, Nate also received support from a Four Diamonds psychologist, who helped him process the emotional challenges of cancer treatment and consider what the experience meant for his future.

From Cancer Patient to Pediatric Cancer Researcher

Nate completed treatment and rang the bell in November 2023, marking the end of an intensive chapter in his life.

He eventually completed college and returned to the world of pediatric cancer, this time from a different perspective.

Today, Nate works as a research technologist in a pediatric cancer research lab at Penn State College of Medicine while preparing for his goal of attending medical school.

His work involves processing patient samples and using cells from tumors or bone marrow to establish cell lines for further research. These laboratory efforts help researchers study cancer and investigate potential new approaches to treatment.

For Nate, the connection between research and patient care is clear. Advances made in the lab can lead to new therapies that improve outcomes and quality of life for children facing cancer.

His experience as a patient has given him a personal understanding of why that work matters. He hopes to become a pediatric oncologist, combining his interest in research with the opportunity to care for children and teens experiencing what he once did.

Giving Hope to the Next Generation of Patients

Looking back on his diagnosis, Nate remembers his dad telling him that he was going to get through it because he could not see another way forward. That mindset continues to influence how Nate approaches challenges and what he hopes to offer others facing cancer.

“My dream in life is to inspire and give hope to people who feel like they can’t do it. I want to be living proof that they can do anything despite a setback,” Nate said.

He hopes his journey will encourage young patients to keep looking toward their futures, even when cancer treatment puts their plans on hold. “You can do this, and there’s no other way you see it happening that you don’t succeed,” Nate said.

Four Diamonds helped Nate and his family navigate the financial challenges of his diagnosis, allowing them to focus on his care. Now, through his work in pediatric cancer research, Nate is contributing to the scientific progress that can shape treatment for future patients.

His journey reflects the connection between comprehensive support for children and families facing childhood cancer and the continued pursuit of better treatments through innovative research.

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