Annabelle Grace Bartel, often known as “AG,” is all about remaining energetic.
The 13-year-old is a volleyball supervisor, a basketball supervisor and a volunteer, however maybe her best feat is the truth that she has overwhelmed most cancers twice.
“It is undoubtedly the toughest factor that I’ve ever been via,” she advised USA TODAY Wednesday night.
The Eighth-grader lives in Colleyville, Texas, about 22 miles northeast of Fort Value and was first recognized with osteosarcoma, a uncommon kind of bone most cancers, in December of 2019. A softball participant on the time, she advised her mother and father she was experiencing muscle weak point in her left arm.
She needed to endure surgical procedure on her left arm. Docs eliminated a cancerous humerus and changed it with a donor bone, her mom, Leslie Bartel shared.
“Her left arm is definitely the scale of a nine-year-old as a result of it does not develop,” her mom mentioned. “It is a useless bone … In case you take a look at her arms, one is so much shorter than the opposite one and he or she has restricted use of that arm, so she will solely elevate her arm about eye-level.”
After the surgical procedure, her most cancers was in remission for 3 years. Docs scanned her often to ensure she was cancer-free after which in August of 2023, docs seen a spot on her lungs.
She had surgical procedure on Sept. 11 to deal with it.
“They did get clear margins, so she is cancer-free once more for the second time,” her mom shared.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, got here isolation
AG mentioned when she was first recognized with most cancers, it felt like a studying stage. The second time round, it was somewhat simpler to listen to the information.
One of many hardest components of her journey was when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Strict laws prevented family and friends from visiting her on the hospital like they usually may and solely considered one of her mother and father may go to her at a time.
“FaceTime turned my finest pal,” AG shared.
When she was hospitalized, her mother would assist her embellish her hospital rooms, celebrating holidays just like the Fourth of July and Christmas. In addition they tried out themes comparable to make-up, unicorns, rainbows and pajamas.
“One week, we did a cooking theme and we really discovered to make cookies within the microwave,” her mother shared.
And all through all of this, AG has needed to juggle college work. Her most up-to-date bout with most cancers compelled her to actually apply herself as a result of she was out of college for fairly some time.
“Being in all AP courses, it is actually laborious to catch up,” she shared.
Her mom mentioned she’s all caught up now although and has straight As.
“She’s simply form of again to full pace, even seven weeks post-surgery,” her mother mentioned. “She’s residing each minute of life she will.”
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Teenager has undergone medical trials since therapy choices are scarce
AG has osteosarcoma, one of many rarest, oldest sorts of childhood most cancers. If sufferers relapse, it’s often detected within the lungs and there haven’t been many developments in therapy, mentioned AG’s mom.
“There are not any commonplace choices for teenagers that relapse for osteosarcoma which were confirmed to work,” her mom shared.
This led her household to signal her up for medical trials, together with immunotherapy referred to as Mepact, which is utilized in some European nations and boosts the immune system to kill most cancers cells.
“It is an immunotherapy given over the course of 48 weeks,” her mom mentioned. “By means of the Compassionate Use Act, we had been in a position to get that for her.”
She’s presently collaborating in a medical trial the place she will get an infusion each three weeks. If she stays cancer-free, she’ll proceed for 48 weeks, her mom mentioned.
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AG has impressed her mother and father to do higher, they are saying
AG’s father, Eric Bartel, mentioned her journey has impressed him to understand each second and to be extra affected person along with his kids.
“We’re much more tender-hearted and compassionate in direction of others, much more forgiving,” he shared, including that he hates most cancers and what it does to folks.
“She’s 13 years outdated and he or she has actually walked via hell twice now,” he mentioned about AG. “It is very laborious as a dad to see. If I may take it from her and put it in my lungs and take it from her, I’d do it in a nanosecond.”
AG is doing effectively today although. She’s concerned in cheer, theater and is a coach’s assistant for volleyball, monitor, basketball, subject and soccer. She’s additionally on the tennis crew.
She needs to encourage folks to maintain going.
“If you’re on therapy, you must hold residing and hold preventing,” AG mentioned. “At all times reside life to the fullest every day since you by no means know when it will be your final. You’re cherished. Your life issues.”
To maintain up with AG, verify social media for the hashtag #AGtough or go to www.linktr.ee/agtough.
