As October 2020 drew to a close, Lauren Nye had no indication whatsoever that she was sick. In fact, the 33-year-old had never been seriously ill in her life. She said she felt healthy and had even exercised recently as she went about her normal routine.

Suddenly, though, Nye said she watched as huge bruises developed on her legs. As they worsened, she became concerned and decided to visit an urgent care facility, which is where she was subsequently referred to Harrisburg Hospital.

Upon her arrival there, Nye underwent a marathon, day-long session of blood work, tests and scans to assess her situation. Within 24 hours and after a transfer to the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, her doctors informed her that she had a rare disease called Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL). Her sudden diagnosis kicked off a month-long stay in the hospital that involved arsenic trioxide treatments, chemotherapy and blood transfusions that kept her alive.

“My bone marrow was overproducing white blood cells and killing red blood cells. My body was no longer able to stop bleeding. That’s why I had such gruesome bruises,” Nye said. ““It was one of those freak things that there is no planning for. Whenever you say your life can change in an instant, people think, yeah, sure. Well, I know it’s very true. There is no way to have known or planned in advance, it happened so quick.”

Fortunately, Nye sought medical attention just in time for doctors to diagnosis her and commence the treatments that saved her life. Roughly nine months later, she said she has a positive prognosis, having just finished her infusions and transitioned to what she described as the “maintenance phase” of her treatment. That involves taking chemotherapy pills in 90-day cycles.

Of course, the sudden diagnosis of a life-threatening disease created many other challenges. Although Nye, the director of exhibitions at the Susquehanna Art Museum in Harrisburg, said she was fortunate to keep her health insurance during her hospital stay and subsequent recovery, she was unable to work. As she waited to secure disability assistance, she was in need of short-term help to pay some of her bills.

Vickie’s Angel Foundation stepped up by helping Nye, a Harrisburg resident, cover her half of her rent. She said she and her significant other, Chris, were put in touch with the foundation after speaking to one of her nurses at the Hershey Medical Center.

“They helped me with two months of rent while I was unable to work, which was immensely helpful. That kind of thing made it so much easier to focus on getting better and not stress about being in this financial situation,” Nye said. “Reaching out to [Vickie’s Angel Foundation], their ability to turn around an application is fast. I was speaking to them within days. They do a great job of responding quickly. It was easy and I felt good about it.”

Nye said that she’s recently been able to start working again and resume some of her normal activities. She’s connected with others diagnosed with APL through an online support group. She said she’s also spent time reflecting on everything she’s been through over the last year and how fortunate she is.

“Whenever they first told me in Harrisburg [at the hospital], they left me alone in a room and I had my moment to freak out. I thought, this is the worst thing that could happen. I’m the unluckiest person on earth,” Nye said of her diagnosis. “As things played out and I got more information, I feel totally the opposite. It’s terrible to deal with, but I feel super lucky. I could have had a more deadly version of leukemia. I could have not gone to the hospital or lost my health insurance. I’m super lucky with how most things turned out.”

About Us: Vickie's Angel Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a mission of helping families fighting cancer who cannot pay their bills because of going through cancer treatment. The foundation’s goal is to take away the financial worry from the family, providing a temporary bridge that allows them to focus entirely on beating this disease. Since 2003, Vickie’s Angel Foundation has raised over $3.6 million and helped more than 2,000 families. Importantly, 100% of all online donations, and monies received at our walk; along with 100% of net proceeds from sponsored events, go directly to those in need.