Every day, thousands of teens across the nation are facing the adversity of battling cancer. Here is the moving story of one such courageous teenager, Oak Forest’s own Julia Janes.

As her Sweet Sixteenth birthday approached, Oak Forest resident Julia Janes was living a “normal” life for a teenager—thinking about her upcoming year at school, playing her flute in the band, serving on the high school yearbook staff, and mostly concerned about her true passion in life, soccer. But life would change forever for Julia and her immediate family (father Jeff, mother Leslie, 20-year-old brother Mike and even the family dog, Peanut) on July 8, 2009, two days after that sixteenth birthday. A lingering soccer injury—she’d been kicked above her left knee during one game and had dealt with a painful limp ever since—had required her to seek medical clearance before playing her first varsity game in the Regionals against Lemont High School. What had originally been identified as a deep bone bruise instead led to an eventual diagnosis of Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare disease in which cancer cells are found in the bone or in soft tissue, most commonly in the pelvis, thigh or trunk of the body.

Following the initial shock of her diagnosis, Julia immediately began undergoing treatment for the disease. Her chemotherapy program required her to be in the hospital for two days, then home for two weeks, and finally back in the hospital for five days, a grueling schedule that would unfold repeatedly over the next ten months.

During her two weeks at home, Julia was also required to visit the Keyser Family Pediatric Cancer Clinic at Hope Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn. The twice-a-week visits were made more bearable by the fact that her Aunt Tricia works as a Children’s Oncology Group nurse there. As she began the difficult adjustment to life as a cancer patient, Julia sought anything that would provide a distraction from the painful treatments she had to endure. Text messages, phone calls and Facebook updates from friends certainly helped, and she quickly found that watching movies or listening to music on an i-Pod Touch she’d received from a relative were the best tonics for her constant pain. One of the more memorable and moving moments occurred when the Oak Forest High School Marching Band surprised Julia by showing up and performing at the Clinic right before the school’s annual homecoming football game.

Always an avid music fan, Julia soon found her musical tastes changing from a preference for hip-hop and pop to more soothing and relaxing classical tunes featuring horns and flutes. And she noticed another change around her, this one from her brother Mike. Her cancer diagnosis seemed to bring out a protective, nurturing side in her brother, a feeling which manifested itself in the form of Mike’s daily surprises designed to help Julia get her mind off the painful treatments and long hospital stays. He would frequently bring their dog Peanut to Julia’s hospital room dressed in various outfits designed to make her laugh. Other times, he’d take the purple medical examination gloves, blow them up, and place them on his head like a rooster’s crown. And whenever a blood transfusion or other painful procedure left Julia too weak to walk in or out of either home or hospital, Mike would carry her to and from the car, much to the pleased astonishment of both parents who had never before seen this side of the siblings’ relationship.

Julia and the entire Janes family have glowing praise for the incredibly supportive nursing staff at the Keyser Clinic. The nurses repeatedly went above and beyond the call to ensure Julia would be as comfortable as possible by making her latest condition known to doctors, or by simply filling a prescription at a crucial time. Her father Jeff recognized the nursing staff’s excellence instantly, saying, “You just know quality when you see it, and those nurses had it.” Julia recalls the nurses and doctors were like one big family. “I felt comforted the instant I arrived, and they immediately made me feel special. I met other teens battling cancer, and together we made up a group the nurses referred to as the Coffee Clutch. We kept the coffee and hot chocolate machines going nonstop, and we made bananagrams and Halloween decorations and treats for the younger cancer patients.”

All members of the Janes family are also quick to recognize the Treasure Chest Foundation’s positive impact in bringing joy and distraction from pain to the children and teenagers receiving treatment at Hope. Julia began stockpiling the $5 gift cards for Best Buy which she had selected from the Foundation’s Treasure Chest, and eventually she saved enough of them to buy a new camera. On other occasions, a gift card for McDonald’s, Subway, or Jamba Juice helped her to minimize the adverse effects of the less-than-delicious hospital food. Her most cherished Treasure Chest gift cards were for makeup, jewelry and clothing from her favorite store, Forever 21.

Julia and her parents frequently observed the miraculous effect the Treasure Chest toys had on other patients, both young children and teens alike. Julia was especially moved by the thoughtfulness of one young boy who pondered long and hard the various choices of toys available in the Treasure Chest, only to come away unselfishly with a pair of high-heeled Princess shoes that would soon become a gift to his sister. Leslie was likewise amazed at the effect of the Treasure Chest toys. “You just can’t imagine how in the blink of an eye, a young child would go from tears to laughter when they chose a toy from the Treasure Chest . . . even when they planned to give it to their sister.”

A teenager’s mood is often affected most by interaction with peers. Julia found it difficult during her cancer treatment to be away from friends, but is thankful for those who stayed in touch and supported her throughout the ordeal. And as for her advice to any teens who are diagnosed with cancer, Julia emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive attitude. “Cancer changed the way I see things and look at life every day,” she says. The effect has carried over to her father, as Jeff admits that his new perspective on what’s important in life has meant that arguments in the workplace just don’t seem as critical anymore.

As Julia’s mother Leslie wrote in the family’s online journal, “Every good story has a happy ending.” And such was the case for Julia. Shortly after 11 p.m. on April 19, 2010, Julia completed her final chemo treatment and the next morning she returned home, a cancer survivor. A month later, after learning that Julia’s scans and x-rays looked good, the Janes family celebrated by heading directly to the Plush Horse for delicious ice cream cones.

Today, life goes on for Julia and her family. Her senior year finds her once again serving as an editor of the yearbook. She manages to maintain her grades as a member of the National Honor Society while getting involved in Operation Snowball, Interact and the Oak Forest Youth Commission. She currently tutors another high school student in playing the flute, and plans to take guitar lessons next summer with what little spare time she can find. Her parents admit that Julia’s bout with cancer has given them a more positive approach to life’s many challenges. Leslie says, “We don’t worry about things the way we used to. This experience has helped me learn to enjoy every moment of every day. It broke my heart to see kids suffering, and now I want to do more for young cancer patients. I’ll be connected to Hope Hospital for the rest of my life.”

Leslie observed in their online journal that some teens are still struggling in their fight against cancer, others have won and become survivors, and still others have become angels. For the many teenage cancer patients who find themselves in the battle of their lives, there are no guarantees. The only thing certain is that the loving care and support of family and friends, coupled with the efforts of the donors who support the Treasure Chest Foundation, are necessary elements for any teenager’s journey to survivorship in the battle against cancer.