Battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) during her last two years of high school, Michaela Cecala, senior, has not allowed it to interfere with her hopes for the future.

After being diagnosed, she was brought to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital to begin her first set of four rounds of chemotherapy treatments.

“It was very quick.  I was put into a research treatment that was part of a study.  It is considered one of the more intense treatments out there,” Cecala said.  “After a month in the hospital (each round of treatment), I went home for about a week.”

Although the treatment was under six months, which is considered relatively brief for cancer treatments, Cecala’s family was greatly affected.

“When I was diagnosed it was devastating and the biggest shock for my family.  My parents were torn apart while my sister had a positive outlook on it and was the strongest,” Cecala said.  “For me, it was surreal and scary because cancer had always been my number one fear, so when they told me I expected the worst.”

Only four months following her diagnosis, she was told she was in remission, and at the same time, she was trying to catch up with her school work.

“I was out of school for the last two months of junior year and the first two months of senior year, and it did not take long to catch up,” Cecala said.

Falling behind in school has not delayed her college entry this fall.  This senior has been dreaming of going away to go to college since she was eight and has known her career goals since seventh grade.

“I am moving to California June fourth and will eventually be attending University of Southern California to study to become a criminal lawyer,” Cecala said.

According to Cecala, her “recovery is still ongoing” and has not affected her outlook on her limitations but has affected her perspectives on life.

“After treatment I go in once a month for blood tests but that’s it,” Cecala said.  “I haven’t really been stopped from doing anything but it has motivated me to live everyday to the fullest.”