AKRON, Ohio — Four childhood friends who beat cancer reached another milestone together earlier this month.
Kemery Kerschner, Madison Lehman, Morgan Loudon and Katelynn "Boo" Magyar all graduated from different high schools across the state recently. It's a definite milestone, but these lifelong friends have passed many in the last few years.
"I felt like I had been through so much and that I'd experienced and learned so much by the time I was 18, high school almost felt so small," Loudon, who graduated from West Branch High School in Beloit.
Loudon was diagnosed at 8 years old with Rhabdomyosarcoma near her left kidney. Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common type of soft tissue sarcoma in children. She’s going to Ohio State University and plans to become a pediatric sports medicine doctor.
Kerschner graduated from Ashland High School and is going to Davenport University. Her dream is to become a child life specialist in honor of the one who cared for her at Akron Children’s Hospital.
She battled Wilms tumor or nephroblastoma. The most common type of kidney cancer in children.
"I'm a two-time cancer survivor and I'm going to this super great college for cheer and stunt and it's something that not a lot of kids that go through what we went through get to do,” Kerschner said.
The four met when they were kids, each fighting cancer at Akron Children's Hospital, all learning life lessons far too young.
Tyjanna Lehman, Madison's mom, said watching her daughter graduate is bittersweet because she knows there are other parents who won’t get to see this moment.
"No kid should ever have to deal with another child passing away, and unfortunately they all know several," Tyjanna said.
“It's almost like I was like carrying the people that couldn't be there with us with me so they could go through it too," Madison said, who graduated from Crestview High School.
Madison was diagnosed at the age of 4 with Burkitt lymphoma, a form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that is fast growing and fatal if left untreated.
She’s going to Ashland University to study life sciences and perhaps one day become a science teacher.
The four admit fighting, surviving, and thriving wasn’t an easy journey. Often, they dealt with depression and anxiety.
"It's hard being a kid and having those flashbacks and especially dealing with survivor's guilt," Kerschner said.
"I’m just blown away by how wise they are and their ability to talk about where they are and push themselves through this," she said.
The four forged friendships like no other.
"I was always jealous of the kids that actually got to go to school when we couldn't, so it was always nice to meet the kids in the hospital and at camps and to know we weren't going through things alone," Magyar said.
She was diagnosed at age 4 with lymphoblastic leukemia, cancer of the bone marrow and blood. She’ll attend the College of Wooster and intends to become a pediatric oncologist.
Their bond has only become stronger as the years passed and while they may not be able to see each other as often as they like, they keep in touch virtually and with calls and texts.
Each is also a medical pioneer having participated in clinical trials dealing with their diagnosis. Research is ongoing into all facets of patient care.
"We're learning more about the impact of stress, the social determinants of health and how that impacts the long-term outcomes of not only surviving your disease but how you thrive afterward," said Dr. Jeffrey Hord, Akron Children’s Hospital Director of Hematology-Oncology.
The four feel like old souls, much wiser than their age and seemingly more prepared for the future.
Their parents say their kids have been teaching them how to get through life.
“Attitude, she always had a positive attitude,” said Katelynn's dad, John Magyar.
Kerschner’s dad, Toby, couldn’t agree more.
"The truth is, we got our strength from her. I mean when you're that young and still keeping that positive attitude, it's infectious," he said.
The graduates said the wisdom, came from the hospital, not high school. What do they hope to teach others?
“You should be compassionate in all situations,” Loudon said.
"You need to be understanding, you don't know people's stories, if they're rude to you, maybe they had a bad day," Lehman said.
"Don't take any day for granted because you never know when you won't have the next day so you need to live life to the fullest," Magyar said.
"You’ll have your true friends obviously for the rest of your life and they’ll love you for whoever you are, whatever you've been through," Kerschner added.