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Ava Springer

@ava.springer13

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SHS '27 | Phil 4:13 ✝️ | Fighter. 🧡🎗️

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Hey! I’m running the St. Jude Memphis Marathon to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. 🏃🏼🎗️🤍

If you’d like to donate the link is in my bio! 🧡

Yesterday was World Leukemia Day, and it also marked a huge day for my sister Ava — she hit the 100-days-left mark in her treatment! She’s had an incredibly tough journey (742 days), but she’s been a trooper in her fight against leukemia! She’s recently started back at school for her Senior year!

Ava’s last iv chemo she received last Friday really knocked her down a few days. Nauseous, jaw neuropathy pain, headache, couldn’t eat, missed a couple days of school, but thankfully she is feeling better!! She should only have one more iv chemo to go in treatment in about 80 days.

St. Jude never sends a family a bill — not for treatment, not for travel, not for housing, not for food. That’s only possible because people show up for families like ours. Every mile I run in Memphis is for Ava and for every other kid and family going through this.

Thank you for being part of this with us!🧡

#StJude #StJudeMarathon #ALLinForAva #LeukemiaWarrior #WorldLeukemiaDay

https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/Heroes/SJMMW?pg=personal&px=8615140&fr_id=164588 by @ava.springer13

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a month ago

Two years ago today, just three weeks before turning 16, I started chemotherapy and my battle against leukemia began.
Everything changed so quickly. Just days before, I was pitching in a softball tournament, looking at trucks, and living my normal life. Then came blood work, a hospital admission, a bone marrow biopsy, a lumbar puncture, a leukemia diagnosis, surgery to place my port, and my first chemotherapy treatments all within one week. The months that followed brought some of the hardest days of my life. There were days I was so sick and weak I could barely walk, but somehow, day after day, I kept going. Looking back at pictures from before my diagnosis reminds me how quickly life can change and how important it is to appreciate the ordinary days and the people you love. Now, two years later, I can finally say there are only 112 days left of treatment!!! I will never be able to thank my family, friends, community, medical teams, and everyone who has prayed for me and supported me throughout these two years. Thank you St. Francis Children’s Hospital, St. Jude, MD Anderson, and every person who has been part of my care. Most importantly, thank you Jesus for carrying me through every single day. 🤍

Two years ago I was just beginning the fight. Today, I’m looking toward the finish line.

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” by @ava.springer13

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2 months ago

Senior sunrise🌅💙 by @ava.springer13

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2 months ago

Falls Creek 26’

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.“ Matthew 28:19 taken in Falls Creek Camp by @ava.springer13

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4 months ago

Houston Trip!

Started the week off in the hospital with 2 kidney stones trying to pass on the same side. My creatinine level had to come down before I was able to leave the hospital by the grace of God I passed the 2 kidney stones at 2:20 a.m. Thursday morning and my levels came down just in time to get out that evening and catch a flight the next day. Had a great trip down to Houston and made some memories that will last a lifetime. Landed in Houston and my Uncle Jeff surprised me with going to batting practice and getting to meet some Astros players and had a few groups of people that helped my uncle surprise us with front row seats behind home plate. Grateful for the memories that were made that day! Got to have a great fishing trip with family, caught quit a bit of hybrids and got to eat them later for dinner. Had my follow up appointment with Dr. Kemp at MD Anderson. I had another MRI with contrast on my left knee, good news Dr. Kemp told us nothing has changed. Very encouraging to see that it has stayed stable especially with increasing my activity in the last 6 months. Thank you all for the continued support and prayers! I appreciate it so much!! 192 days until the end of treatment.

Isaiah 40:31: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” by @ava.springer13

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4 months ago

“Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”
Psalm 37:24

Day 645- It has been everything but an easy journey. I was very thankful I was able to go back to school in January and start my junior year. I have always loved going to school to see my friends, talk to them, and make new friendships. This year was definitely the most excited I’ve ever been to start school especially being out for a year and a half. I was able to go to our basketball team’s practices and sit on the bench during games and be apart of the team. I have been continuing to gain my strength back at physical therapy 3 times a week. Seeing progression really helps motivate me and have that drive to get back to the things I love. Maintenance has continued to be a roller coaster with kidney stones, AVN, and labs being crazy sometimes. There are better days ahead and I am really looking forward to them. I am currently admitted right now trying to pass 2 kidney stones that worked their way down to the ureter tube. Hopefully getting out soon as soon as my creatine levels come back down to normal range. Thank you all for the continued love, support, and prayers I appreciate it all so much.

Exactly 200 days left until I take my last chemo pill!! I thank God for guiding me to where I am today. by @ava.springer13

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5 months ago

Prom 26’ 🩵 by @ava.springer13

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6 months ago

“EVERY SETBACK IS A SETUP FOR A COMEBACK.
GOD WANTS TO BRING YOU OUT BETTER THAN YOU WERE BEFORE.”

That’s a wrap on year 👌🏼
Couldn’t be more proud of this team and to have them by my side. The best is yet to come. by @ava.springer13

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8 months ago

Day 500👊🏼

“A goal is a dream with a deadline.” by @ava.springer13

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9 months ago

480 days down and 1 year to go.

“No one can be strong 100% of the time; the key is bouncing back.” by @ava.springer13

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10 months ago

“Do not be afraid” Is written in the bible 365 times. That’s a daily reminder to live everyday FEARLESS.

Day 474- I am currently in maintenance, Thursday I will start my 2nd cycle of maintenance every 3months or 85 days I will start a new cycle. Day 1 of every cycle I will receive 2 chemo’s on top of my daily oral chemo I will also receive an LP (spinal tap) I will receive 2 LP’s in every cycle. I currently have been dealing with some extensive AVN, I have it in both ankles, L knee, and my R shoulder. They have not MRI’d the other joints yet but will soon. I recently made the trip down to MD Anderson in Houston and got imaging done, met the Leukemia doctor, and had an appointment with the AVN specialist “Dr. Kemp”. After my appointment she wanted a more recent MRI with contrast, I had my MRI done in Houston the night before we flew back home. We had a phone call with Dr. Kemp this morning about what the next step would be for me with my AVN. Good news is no surgery needed so no core decompression with stem cells. She said with my knee there is a large area of AVN with my femur and tibia although there are still signs of fatty tissue and blood flow with my bone marrow which is good. This means it’s not completely necrotic and dead. Pretty much the same for my ankles and feet. I’ll have more MRI’s done in June of next year and a follow up with Dr. Kemp. She told me I can continue to work towards short stints of running but doesn’t want me doing any long distance like a marathon. Other than my AVN I have been doing good. I was able to fly down to Houston for Thanksgiving and see my uncle and cousins, I had a great time and was very thankful I got to have a week away from everything back home. I have been feeling good enough to get some schoolwork done recently. I have also been doing PT 3 times a week and recovering the other days. I am very grateful that I have been able to make a basketball game and more to come in the future. Glad that I’ve been able to see friends, coaches, and family recently. Thank you all for the love, support, and prayers I appreciate it!

“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares
the Lord.”
Jeremiah 30:17 taken in Life is a Journey by @ava.springer13

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10 months ago

Update from Tuesday
** END OF FRONTLINE ** !!!!!!!!!!!
Day 375 since starting treatment!
-69 Chemotherapy treatments through port
-15 Lumbar punctures with chemotherapy
-70 days of high dose steroids
-98 oral chemo pills
-Two- 28 continuous days of Immunotherapy
-22 Blood transfusions
-35 Platelet transfusions
-Multiple meds “Pills” everyday since.
-Approximately 67 overnights at the hospital
-Well over 100 days at the hospital
Countless nausea meds, multiple times on a morphine pump for bone and joint pain, weeks and weeks of mouth sores, throat sores and mucositis, multiple mouth rinses and lidocaine rinses to help eat, a significant loss of weight multiple times, nausea and throwing up even at times while leaving the house to go receive more treatment, having to be carried to the truck. My Faith and outlook on life has allowed me to persevere through this challenging time and I cannot wait to see how my testimony affects others in the future more than it already has. I am forever grateful for our family, friends, community, church, school, teachers, coaches and co-workers for your outpouring of time, support, love and prayers! way too many amazing
people to list!
One of the post says it best:
“ Warriors are built through adversity, grace, grit, and gratitude. She is armored in faith, surrounded by an army, and she will rise! “
I also want to acknowledge and thank everyone at St Francis Children’s Hospital and the St Jude Clinic onsite. It takes so many individuals, from the person cleaning the hospital rooms, our nurse techs, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacist, oncologist and everyone in between to make this possible. These individuals are more special than what they will ever know
We are beyond
blessed to have an affiliate of St Jude in northeastern Oklahoma on top of already having a Children’s Hospital! I have been waiting to update on my knee situation until we meet with the orthopedic doctor. My MRI results did show signs of AVN
(Avascular Neerosis Ostenneerosis) taken in The Children's Hospital at Saint Francis by @ava.springer13

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a year ago