Bone cancer: a terrified teenage girl’s three heartbreaking words to her mother before she died of osteosarcoma
Just ten days before a teenager tragically died from a rare bone cancer, she told her mother, “Something is wrong.”
Anya Zuber from Armidale in the north NSW was just 13 when she was diagnosed with the aggressive cancer, and for six years she underwent high doses of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
During that time she was given the all-clear twice, but the cancer known as osteosarcoma returned in 2020, when she was 19 years old.
Only one in five survive the cruel disease after it returns.
Anya Zuber from Armidale in northern NSW was just 13 when she was diagnosed with the aggressive cancer, and for six years she underwent high doses of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
Ms Zuber (pictured with her mother Elizabeth Egan) was just 13 when she was diagnosed
“She just said, ‘Mom, something’s wrong,’ and 10 days later she was gone,” her mother Elizabeth Egan said. 7News.
Mrs. Zuber made her parents promise that her death would not be in vain and they honored that promise raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Anya’s Wish research project at the Children’s Cancer Institute (CCI).
Dr. CCI’s Emmy Fleuren said that thanks to Anya’s Wish funding, “we have currently been able to generate nine new and unique osteosarcoma cells,” which are used to test the effectiveness of drugs.
The project team has also identified other drugs that it believes could successfully combat osteosarcoma, but that will require more funding.
Nadya Landey of the Children’s Cancer Institute said all money raised “goes to research projects like Anya’s Wish.”
“I know Anya has been committed to supporting research to find better treatments for children with osteosarcoma,” said Dr. Fleuren.
“There is an absolute and unmet need to do something about these tumors and with Anya’s Wish we can do just that.”
For more than six years, Ms. Zuber (photo) underwent high doses of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery for the aggressive form of bone cancer that mainly affects young people.
“Anya’s wish was that her body and her experience with the disease would focus on the ongoing research to end childhood cancer, especially sarcoma,” Ms Egan said before a meeting. challenge to raise money will be held next month.
On October 15, people take on challenges such as walking, running or cycling 19 km.
The 19 is in honor of Mrs. Zuber’s 19th anniversary.
“Anya would be so proud,” Mrs. Egan said.