Megan Theis, senior, could’ve died 13 years ago.  She has battle scars from a war waged over riding her body of a life-threatening cancer,.

After over a decade of challenges, Theis remains positive, and discusses her life beyond high school.  She endured years of chemotherapy, treatments, various relapses, and continuous recovery.

“I was only five when I was diagnosed, but now I see life as a chance to explore my options and to be able to test the limits on what I can do,” Theis said.  “Also being around the ones you love and care about is most important.”

Throughout her life she has had to face hardships that have improved her outlook on life.

“Knowing that just because things are hard, never give up because obstacles are there to make us stronger and not push us down.”

At five years old, however, she had no idea what was in store.

In 2002, the Theis family had recently moved to Lake Zurich and, Megan and Abbie Theis, were just beginning school at May Whitney Elementary.

“It was the summer and Megan just got a brand new pair of flip flops, and she was tripping a lot, so we just kind of blamed the flip flops.  Then she started complaining about headaches, but every time she did, she got a little smile on her face because she knew she’d get to take the grape medicine,” Julie Theis, mother and Special Education teacher, said.

After more encounters with Megan’s headaches and throwing up, Julie realized something was majorly wrong.  Doctors performed some basic hand-eye coordination and balancing tests that helped them discover the mass in Megan’s brain.

“Her doctor said, ‘You have to take her to Children’s Memorial downtown immediately, if you don’t, then we’re going to take her by ambulance’,” Julie said.

Julie said she was astonished, but pulled herself together and met her husband at the hospital with Megan and Megan’s grandma.

“They did an emergency MRI and that was when they said, ‘If it looks like a dog, and acts like a dog, and barks like a dog, it’s probably a dog.’  They were giving me this very long name of what kind of tumor they thought it was.  At that time it just went right over my head but it turned out to be Medulloblastoma,” Julie said.

Megan’s diagnosis at a young age led to her missing the majority of her first two years of elementary school.  As a result she had a lot of catching up to do in school, which has made her change her perspectives on life.

“In a way it has actually showed me and proved to me who my true friends were and who was hanging around and wanted to say they were my friends,” Megan said.  “It proved to me who truly was there and wanted to support me and be with me.”

For Megan though, she knows her biggest support comes from one place.

“I definitely think more about family and wanting to be with family, not to just always be out with friends.  [Family] will always be the ones who support you more than anyone,” Megan said.

Although the entire family was there for Megan, Abbie, her younger sister, couldn’t always be with the family or even at home.  According to Abbie, her sister’s cancer postponed their potential relationship.

“[The separation between us] was kind of forced because we always played together and then all of a sudden she couldn’t be in the room with me because the doctors were in there,” Megan said.  “She couldn’t stay in the hospital the whole time, so she was off with our aunts and our cousins, staying at their houses.  It’s never been the same, and we’ve taken our own little separate paths, [but] we still talk once in a while.”

The two sisters, who used to connect with each other through dance, singing, and playing with Polly Pockets, have found new ways to get along and to spend time together.  Both sisters enjoy creating art, followed by critiquing each other’s art.

“I’ve always loved art.  I actually spent most of my time when I was in the hospital in the art room, in the playroom, doing arts and crafts everyday,” Megan said.

Her passion for art has led her to make tough choices for the future.  She is planning on moving to a warmer climate, which means she will likely leave Illinois; although, Julie would rather see Megan stay close to home.
“What I want to do is open up a little shop and make a lot of pottery or different crafts and try to make my own little business selling and teaching others,” Megan explained.  “Looking at [my cancer] now, it makes me think if I’ve survived that, then I can do a lot more in life than getting a mediocre job […],” Megan said.  “It makes me feel like I can do more, makes me want to do more, and makes me want to achieve more.”