Alec Kupelian

When I was 19 years old, I was diagnosed with a 19 cm. long Ewing Sarcoma in my left pelvis. I underwent 11 months of chemotherapy and 6 weeks of radiation treatment at the Daltrey/Townshend Teen and Young Adult  (TYA) Cancer Program at UCLA. Because of the severity of my treatment, I had to do all my treatment in-patient, so I was in the hospital for about a week at a time every other week. I am now finishing up college at the University of California, Santa Barbara as an Earth Science and Geology major with a minor in Education. I am healthy enough to be back on the field playing sports like soccer and ultimate Frisbee and, more than anything, I am happy, healthy, and living my best life!

The work that Teen Cancer America has done to promote teen and young adult specific treatment protocols and spaces turned what could’ve been the worst year of my life into something worth remembering. I made lasting friendships with other teens in the treatment hall, and the hospital staff was more like family to me than nurses and doctors. I want to help Teen Cancer America because with their support and the support of the Teens and Young Adults (TYA) program, I can now talk about my treatment without inhibition. I can honestly say that in between the difficult moments was a lifetime’s worth of memories!