Emma’s pain escalated over the next few months. “Everything made it hurt more,” Emma recalled. “Every time I moved, even when I coughed or sneezed, I felt unbearable pain. It was so hard to even get through the day.”
Her mother, Jesica Zunker, sought answers from multiple doctors, but no one could pinpoint the cause of Emma’s pain. She was having trouble climbing stairs and even walking became laborious. One day, Emma stood up and collapsed to the ground.
Jessica took her to CHRISTUS Children’s in nearby San Antonio where she was diagnosed with Acute B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) on Dec. 23, 2018. Nadia Cheek, MD, a pediatric hematologist and oncologist at CHRISTUS Children’s, made the diagnosis of B-ALL – the most common blood cancer in pediatrics that affects the bone marrow and blood.
After months of uncertainty, the family finally had a path forward.
“We finally knew what was causing Emma so much pain and the diagnosis meant we had a plan to make her better,” Jessica said. “When Dr. Cheek told us Emma had cancer, I honestly was crying and smiling. We had a direction. I had been watching Emma deteriorate to nothing. It was so scary. But finally knowing gave me some relief.”
The treatment was far from easy. Emma underwent intense chemotherapy, including lumbar punctures and bone marrow biopsies. The first year was rigorous with frequent hospital visits and extended stays at CHRISTUS Children’s. The next two years required regular hospital visits and oral medication.
“On April 15, 2021, I got my chemo port out and rang the bell,” Emma recalled. “It was during COVID and there were only a couple of people around, but I made sure I got to ring the bell!”
CHRISTUS Children's in San Antonio provides expert pediatric care through a network of clinics, emergency centers, and specialty services, supporting children, expectant moms, and families with compassionate, comprehensive medical care.
From the spring of 2021 to early 2024, Emma was going to high school and getting checked at the CHRISTUS Children’s Survivorship Clinic.
But, in late January 2024, Emma’s exhaustion and pale complexion signaled trouble. “Going for blood work every couple of months had actually become routine. We went in, Emma got blood work, saw the doctor and we were told everything was looking good,” Jessica said. “Until one day, that is not what we heard from the doctors.”
In fact, what the family did hear would force Emma, now 18, to make a brave choice. On that day, the usual trip to CHRISTUS Children’s confirmed the family’s fears; the cancer was back. Emma’s bone marrow showed 97 percent leukemia cells.
After conferring with colleagues – other top pediatric oncologists from children’s hospitals around the country – Emma’s doctors at CHRISTUS Children’s suggested a bone marrow transplant (BMT), requiring Emma to be hospitalized immediately.
“It didn’t feel like a choice,” Emma said. “The doctors said a bone marrow transplant was the best choice for me to be able to beat this once and for all. So I said ‘yes’ to the transplant. I chose it because it was the fastest route back to health.”
She started aggressive chemotherapy once again. By February, she began Blincyto, an immunotherapy medication that works by targeting and killing the cancer cells in B-ALL patients. While the month-long course of treatment is usually done inpatient, Emma became the first patient at CHRISTUS Children’s to receive the infusion at home with a nurse by her side, a testament to her perseverance and the hospital’s dedication to innovation. She returned to CHRISTUS Children’s for another round of Blincyto in April 2024 and, once again, was able to receive most of the four-week treatment at home.
This go-round, Emma’s immune system was wiped out entirely to make sure the cancer was 100 percent eradicated. By May 20, 2024, Emma’s body was ready for the BMT. Her mom, Jessica, donated her peripheral blood stem cells.
Pediatric hematologists and oncologists, specializing in bone marrow transplantation, Dr. Martin Andreansky and Dr. Laurie Davis performed the BMT procedure. Dr. Andreansky, or Dr. “A,” as his patients like to call him, is also the medical director of the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at CHRISTUS Children’s.
Emma’s journey at CHRISTUS Children’s is bittersweet. Of course, she would have rather been playing sports and hanging out with friends, but her nurses became not only friends, but they felt like family to Emma.
Further, nurses like Kyndal, who had undergone her own bone marrow transplant at 17, inspired Emma to pursue a career in nursing. “They made me feel like I was the only patient,” she recalled. “I even got to see Kelly, who was the first nurse I had when I was 13. Now she is managing the entire floor. It was amazing that she came to check on me and remembered me.”
After 31 days in the hospital, Emma was discharged on June 19, 2024, and faced strict post-transplant protocols.
Once again, she put on a brave face but admits she was scared to leave. “There were so many rules. I couldn’t go in the sun. I couldn’t eat dairy. I was told there were so many things that could go wrong,” Emma recalled. “I was even afraid to leave my nurses; they had become my best friends. In addition to Kyndal, I’ll never forget Jeni, Lizmar, James, Vanessa, Emily, Priscilla, Coco and Brianna. I can’t thank them enough. They helped me make the best of a terrible time. I had a lot of hard days but the nurses were so wonderful.”
Mom added, “For sure, Emma’s nurses were a blessing. They take the time to learn who these kids are and what makes them tick. They are the people who help them get through all of the horrible times.”
With her port removed on Jan. 16, 2025, the 19-year-old is planning 90 “redo days” to make up for her 90 days in the hospital in 2024. And, that project is already well underway.
Emma recently celebrated her remission in style with oysters, a rodeo, concerts, a nose piercing, and shopping trips with her mom. The duo even got matching tattoos with the transplant date. She also said she can’t wait for her hair to grow back. “Before cancer, my hair was down to my butt!”
Emma’s love of long hair won’t keep her from participating in an annual event sponsored by local organization St. Baldrick’s Foundation. “I can’t wait to shave Dr. A’s head on March 8,” Emma said, noting she will do anything to raise awareness of childhood cancer. “I also can’t wait to ring the bell for, hopefully, the final time on March 11.”
Those are Emma’s short-term plans. Long-term, she has set her sights much higher.
“I’m going to school to be a nurse and I hope someday to work at CHRISTUS Children’s. I want to be there for other kids the way my nurses were for me.”
Emma’s mom, Jessica, looks at her daughter with all the pride in the world. “My daughter is pretty awesome. She is a very cool kid. We are always together. She beat cancer not once but twice – and I wouldn’t have expected anything less from her.”
For more information about the hematology/oncology program at CHRISTUS Children’s in San Antonio, please visit: CHRISTUS Children's Hematology and Oncology Program.
For more information about the CHRISTUS Children’s Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, please visit: Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program.
