At age 15, Gianna Velarde of Lima, Peru went into quarantine for a month because the H1N1 flu.  She felt quite ill during that time.  Shortly after that, she was playing soccer and a friend said she noticed a large lump on her neck.  This led to her diagnosis of Stage III lymphoma.  Gianna went on a grueling regimen of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.  Gianna was left with an unstable hormonal system, but achieved survivorship, and went on to become a competitive motorcycle rider.

 

Gianna was going through a difficult time and feeling depressed at age 15 when she was quarantined for a month because of H1N1 flu.  She said she spent most of that month in bed.  Gianna was sweating a lot and said she had to change clothes many times a night.  She lost a lot of weight and had difficulty breathing.  Gianna said a large lump developed on her neck, but she didn’t know about it after the quarantine when she was playing soccer.  A friend pointed it out, which is how she found about the lump.  Gianna was taken to the hospital, where she learned she had cancer.

 

Gianna Velarde was diagnosed with Stage III lymphoma.  She said she didn’t have any treatment options and that she would have to undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatment.  All in all, she had to endure 16 rounds of chemotherapy and 32 rounds of radiation. 

 

Gianna said the toughest part of her treatment was hair loss, and that it was demoralizing to see huge patchs of missing hair, feeling like she looked much older than 15. 

 

After about a year, treatment concluded and she survived Stage III lymphoma.  However, she was still feeling the effects of the radiation treatment.  Her hormonal system was unstable, and as it was unstable, her weight was in a constant state of flux. 

 

That said, Gianna forged on with her life, engaging in competitive motorcycle racing.  She has a school in her native Peru where she teaches kids and teenagers how to ride a motorcycle.  She also teaches young women with cancer how to ride a bicycle.