FORT WORTH, Texas — Cancer can change the very course of someone's life. And for two cancer survivors in Fort Worth, that path brought them back to serve at the very hospital that helped save their lives.
Jason Schilder was an aspiring opera singer, a student at Oklahoma City University, when he developed severe pain in his shoulders and then his hips. Several doctor's visits led to bloodwork that showed his white blood cell count was more than 10-times what it should be.
Schilder's body was fighting something severe: two things severe in fact. Biphenotypic leukemia, a mixture of both acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
"I was actually in the middle of an opera. It was the week of the show when I was diagnosed," he said.
He sought treatment back home in Fort Worth with specialist Karen Albritton, M.D., at Cook Children's. Chemotherapy, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant from his brother on Jason's 21st birthday did the trick.
So where does a healthy 29-year-old aspiring opera singer work now?
Today he's a nurse resident at the very hospital that helped save his life.
"It's exactly where I'm meant to be," he said of the decision to pursue a nursing degree. "Every day I come in smiling so happy to be here. I get emotional talking about it. Because I just feel so lucky to be here. I get to help all of these kids and be a part of their healing their comfort and being there, the way so many people were there for me."
Emily Whitworth is also happy to be a nurse resident at Cook Children's. Her journey started at the age of four with diagnosis of a Wilms' tumor, a cancerous growth on one of her kidneys.
Treated successfully at Cook Children's, she was healthy until the age of 12 when she developed thyroid cancer: a known complication of radiation treatments. But that was treated successfully too.
And after life continued cancer-free in high school in North Richland Hills and in college at TCU, she pursued a nursing career too, specifically with Cook Children's in mind.
"As soon as I chose my major I was like, there's no way I don't want to work anywhere else other than Cook's," she said.
Her current residency assignment has her working with hematology and oncology patients just like herself.
"I just love being able to help people and serve others. So it's been great to do that day in and day out."
Both Emily and Jason know that cancer altered the course of their lives. But they're both thankful that path brought them back to Fort Worth to offer a healthy dose of hope.
"Having my story shared to others and families that I take care of definitely has made me feel like this is the right choice," Whitworth said. "Little things that helped me I can try and help them with in hopes that, even if it puts one smile on their face or brightens their day, it's worth it to me."
"You know I love performing and I love being in front of people and singing," Schilder said. "But it doesn't compare to how much I love being here every day. Getting to see all these kids and help them through some of their difficult times and be that support, I feel like one of the luckiest people alive."
Lucky people hoping to spread that luck to as many children as they can.
If you'd like to join the effort, visit the 2020 #erasekidcancer virtual walk-a-thon to learn how you can help.