Jan 16, 2025
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A 15-year-old Newton girl is fighting for her life against blood cancer. Johnna Hulett's first-year student year has been flipped upside down. She caught a fever but couldn't seem to get better, eventually being diagnosed with cancer. Her family said after multiple rounds of chemo later, she is still fighting the disease like a champ. Acute Myeloid Leukemia is a challenging diagnosis.  "I was quite surprised. I was kind of scared," said Johnna.  Flown to Children's Mercy in Kansas City, Johnna began Chemotherapy. She learned at the start of her high school life that it would be an uphill road, something she said was terrifying.  "That definitely traumatized me; I pretty much cried every time I got my blood drawn or heard the word IV, ever," said Johnna.  Her stepmother, Samantha Hulett, said watching Johnna go through treatment was a rollercoaster.  "When you first hear that diagnosis, it was so scary, it broke me," said Samantha.  Wichita’s Rosie the Riveter turns 100, family says they’re ‘truly blessed’ Johnna, a volleyball player at Newton, learned a senior player's mom had just gone through the same cancer and found a match through a non-profit. After talks in the community, a swab drive to try and find a match for Johnna was planned through that same organization.  "I would've never thought someone in our local community had already gone through some of the same situations, and just to be able to have that support so close," said Samantha.  That player, Regan Hirsh, said after seeing her mom go through this cancer, she hopes she and her classmates can do what they can to spread the word and help Johnna. "I saw my mom, who was super healthy and active, go through what she went through. I can't imagine Johnna going through that. I wanted to do everything that I could," said Hirsh.  Johnna said it's bigger than hers, hoping that even if a donor is not found through her drive, it will help someone in need.  "That makes me very happy; it's not just only for me, it's for everybody else. I'm really excited to see how that goes," said Johnna.  A fight to end blood cancer and help Johnna beat it.  The swab drive is at Newton High School this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It only requires a quick swab of the cheek, and people are then put onto a registry across the world to see if they are a bone marrow or stem cell match for someone fighting blood cancer. Even if you can not make it out, you can still be placed on the registry after completing an at-home test.  The non-profit DKMS will provide you with that test via mail, which you can complete free of charge. You can register here.
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