There’s no better way to understand the power and positive impact of the Treasure Chest Foundation than to hear directly from a child or teen who has been diagnosed with cancer and undergone treatment. Katie Rose Woods of Boulder Junction, Wisconsin fits that role, and POTCF Founder and CEO Colleen Kisel recently enjoyed an insightful, moving interview with this brave cancer survivor. Katie was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) in 2002 at the age of three-and-a-half and soon thereafter began nearly three years of painful treatments and procedures at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Today the 16-year-old teenager serves the Marshfield area well as a successful, active fundraiser for the Treasure Chest Foundation. She was eager to discuss what the Treasure Chest meant to her and her immediate family and anxious to let our readers know why the Foundation must continue to provide smiles of relief and joy to young cancer patients across the nation.

POTCF: How was your cancer initially detected?

Katie: I had always been really active as a young kid. I always wanted to play and run around with my older siblings. My mom started to notice that I was taking a lot more naps throughout the day. I wasn’t playing as much and I would always complain that my legs hurt. Finally I got ‘sick’ which at first they thought was just a bug. Then one night my mom looked at me and got a horrible feeling that it was something much worse than they originally thought. In the back of her mind she said for some reason she just knew. They took me to the doctor and a bunch of tests were done. When the test results came back, sure enough, the doctors told my mom and dad the life changing news: I had cancer.

POTCF: What was your reaction when you heard the news?

Katie: Me being so little when I first heard it, I didn’t really know the difference. All I knew was I didn’t always feel the best, I was always at the doctor, and I was always taking medicine. I thought this was just normal and something everyone had to do. I didn’t realize that none of my siblings or any of the kids in my pre-school class had to do this. I just thought it was normal.

POTCF: What type of treatment did you go through?

Katie: I went through chemotherapy. It definitely wasn’t fun. There were so many needles and pills that I didn’t want. I was in treatment for nearly three years. I had a port put under my skin with a tube that went all the way up to my neck. I still have the scars on my neck and rib cage. I also lost all my hair.

POTCF: Can you tell me about the hospitalizations/clinic?

Katie: A few times I had to stay in the hospital overnight. One in particular that sticks out in my mind was when I spiked an extremely high fever and my mom rushed me down to the clinic. My dad had been at home with my other siblings because it was my oldest sister’s 13th birthday. My mom called my dad and he rushed back down to the clinic. He got pulled over on the way going like 80 in a 40 or something. He told the cop about his situation and the cop told him to slow down just a bit but to be on his way. He also told other cops in the area that if they saw my dad, to not pull him over. My mom told me this was the only time she ever thought the worst and that I might die. It was the only time that thought ever really crossed her mind. I pulled through and the fever dropped.

POTCF: What was the worst part of your treatment?

Katie: I think the worst part had to be losing my hair. As a young girl I saw other little girls with their hair in braids or ponytails and it upset me that I couldn’t do that too! All the pokes/shots were bad too. The bone marrow taps weren’t enjoyable either. I didn’t like getting put to sleep and waking up with a huge band-aid on my back.

POTCF: What was the best part, if there was a good part, of the clinic/hospital?

Katie: I think the good part is that I met a girl named Kaylee who had been diagnosed at the same time as me, and we’ve stayed in contact over the years. We have a type of bond that no one else will ever really understand. I also had great nurses and doctors who are still in my life today. They are all great people and I love having them in my life. Also, because of what I went through I have been able to help others going through the same thing. If I hadn’t had cancer, I wouldn’t have done the things I’ve done.

POTCF: Can you tell me about the treasure chest at the hospital?

Katie: The Treasure Chest is amazing. There really aren’t enough words to describe it. Seeing the kids’ faces when they see all the toys, I can’t really put their facial expressions into words. The best I can do is, you see hope, pure joy and excitement in their eyes. It’s amazing to see. The treasure chest is what got me through treatments, checkups and everything else. It gave me something to look forward to and made me feel special. The treasure chest itself is painted in bright colors which makes it so intriguing to look at and just makes you wonder what’s inside.

POTCF: Did knowing you would receive a toy help the hospital/clinic experience?

Katie: Knowing I’d be receiving a toy definitely helped me through treatment. It was like the light at the end of the tunnel. I’d think to myself, “Okay, the bad part is almost over, then I get a reward, just hang in there.” It gave me something else to think about besides just getting poked with needles all the time.

POTCF: Did your relationships with friends and family change?

Katie: I don’t think my relationships changed much because I was so little, but I think the way my parents or siblings treated me kind of did. I think they were all more careful and stepped around the edges with me. I think it affected how they treat me today. I think it made us closer as a family because we kind of realized how precious life can be and how fast it can be lost.

POTCF: How did your parents handle your cancer diagnosis and the aftermath?

Katie: At first they didn’t really handle it well. I mean, who would? They were overwhelmed with pamphlets and information and it was all so much. My mom took it the way any mom would—she was worried, but she tried to stay positive for my sake. My dad took it hard too. My family is Christian, not that we went to church every Sunday, but we were (and still are) religious in that sense. After I was diagnosed my dad almost lost interest in going to church because he didn’t understand why this was happening to me. He has recovered from that stage. As for the aftermath, they were at first just so worried that I might have a relapse. After I didn’t and the cancer stayed away though, I think they took a breath of fresh air.

POTCF: How did your siblings handle your cancer diagnosis and the aftermath?

Katie: There’s no doubt my siblings had it hard. My oldest sister Jamie was 12, my older brother Ryan was nine, and my other older sister Meghan was eight, plus my mom had my little brother Nicholas who was only one month old when I was diagnosed. My mom was constantly at the hospital with me and Nicholas, and my dad was back and forth between work and the hospital, and then back to our house. Jamie was almost forced to grow up at a young age because she had to take care of Ryan and Meghan, clean the house and cook dinner. It wasn’t easy on them and it didn’t help that their teachers at school would always ask them how I was doing. I think Jamie never really grew out of that motherhood stage and that’s probably why she’s such a great mom now. Ryan and Meghan were kind of able to relax a bit and enjoy just being kids.

POTCF: Someone told me (Colleen) that my son’s cancer treatment would change me for the better. Has this changed you in any way?

Katie: Oh yeah, I think it majorly affected who I am today. I think I see the world differently than others. I try to help as many people as I can, and I don’t see a reason to be mean to people when you don’t have to be. Kindness is the best thing you can give someone. I think it has made me appreciate things in life more and has made me a better person. It made me believe that everything happens for a reason and that no matter what you do in life or what choices you make, you’ll always end up exactly where you’re supposed to be.

POTCF: What would you say to a family who just learned their son or daughter was diagnosed with cancer?

Katie: A couple years ago I had a chance to talk to a woman whose two-year-old son had just been diagnosed with cancer. My mom and I told her to keep her head up and stay positive and that things will ultimately get easier and better. Just recently, I ran into this woman again. We were at the dentist and her now four-year-old son was two years into his treatment and was doing great. She said that it had gotten easier and that he had kept on fighting. Her son’s name is Lucas and now he has shaved his head for Saint Baldricks and he has even collected a few hundred dollars to buy toys for the Treasure Chest as well! So, I would tell the families to always stay positive and remain as happy as you can, because life is too short to not be happy. I’d then tell them that it will get easier and to just take one day at a time. 

POTCF: What would you say to the Treasure Chest Foundation contributors? 

Katie: The first thing I’d say would be ‘thank you’ and I honestly would probably only just keep saying thank you, because there aren’t even words to describe how amazing the Treasure Chest Foundation is or the amount of joy it has brought to so many kids. It is crucial to keep the Foundation going because it touches kids of all different ages and kids from many different states as well. The Foundation gives kids hope which keeps parents motivated and uplifted. 

POTCF: Please share a personal story about what the Treasure Chest Foundation meant to you.

Katie: The treasure chest is something that stayed with me after treatment and is still something I remember today. When I think back to my treatments I don’t always think about the medicine and shots and doctor visits I had to go through, the thing I remember most clearly is picking out toys from the treasure chest. It’s not so much about just receiving a toy, it’s like having hope and representing that you are one step closer to being cured. The Treasure Chest stays with the kids and the parents long after treatment ends.