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OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The first thing you notice when watching Jazmin Medina’s Tiktok videos is her passion. As she looks earnestly into the lens, she gives this encouraging advice, “You’re going to go through stuff, and it’s not like you’re not going to be comforted by anybody or do it alone. Christ is going to help you.”

This 19-year old from Oklahoma City knows a thing or two about “going through stuff.”

“I was having seizures.” Jazmin says “I was going to the hospital a lot because I was having problems.”

That was the fall of 2020. She was shocked to learn an aggressive form of leukemia was the diagnosis. Fighting it meant putting her high school education on hold.

“I wasn’t able to finish due to a lot of side-effects I was facing. I was not feeling good at all so school got put on pause.”

Multiple rounds of chemotherapy and even advanced Car-T cell therapies failed. Finally, a stem-cell transplant put Jazmin’s cancer in remission. In all, Jazmin and her mom spent seven months living at the Kid’s Corral Hotel for cancer families.

“Because of the treatment I was on and side effects I could have, I needed to be watched, so here is a place where mom can stay with me, watch me and care for me, and we’re by the hospital.”

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Jazmin Medina

Those long days, focused on healing, had a silver lining. Jazmin discovered a talent for sketching. She also says her faith deepened through hours spent in Bible reading. She developed strong ties to her medical team at Jimmy Everest Cancer Center that she’ll always treasure.

“They’ve become kind of like family,” Jazmin says. “I would say, as far as how close we’ve grown during this journey, I’m glad to have them on my team. I’m glad I got to go through this. I know this is crazy saying this, but it’s shaped me into a person I like. It has strengthened me tremendously.”

Jazmin says the best way she can express her hope for the future is by sharing on social media.

“I see so many young kids and teens as well, and I can’t help but think what is their hope, who are they leaning on. Right now, I’m recovering from a bone marrow transplant, but I’m hoping that I’ll be in remission for awhile.”

We are all rooting for you Jazmin!

If you’d like to consider helping children and teens like Jazmin fight cancer, consider donating to JECFriends.org.