Amarillo’s Hannah Rosales: From 2-Year-Old Leukemia Patient to a Successful Strong Young Woman

The circle of life is something we see on a daily basis, but sometimes that circle is full of challenges and bumps in the road of life.

Hannah McCoy was first diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 2.  She spent the next few years in and out of the hospital fighting and battling this form of cancer.

Hearing the words your 2-year-old has cancer can devastate any family.   How can something so cruel as cancer, happen to someone so little?

Hannah spent most of her early childhood in and out of the hospital battling leukemia.  She spent a lot of time, hanging out in her room, in the playroom, and riding up and down the hallways of one of our local hospitals.  Luckily she also was able to play with other kids in the hospital with cancer battles of their own.   She would get to play pranks with the nurses and Silly String rooms.

All she knew, was the childhood she grew up with early on.  Having cancer was just part of her being a kid.  She knew that not all kids had cancer, but with Hannah, when she got a little cold, that cold landed her in the hospital because her immune system was shot.    Having cancer meant she was doing cancer treatments, including chemo.  Having to go through chemo, meant Hannah lost her hair.

Author Lori Crofford's Story about meeting Hannah,

I remember the day Hannah walked into my very first CMN Radiothon.  This was the first time, I had the privilege of doing a Radiothon, and Hannah was one of my first CMN Kiddo interviews.  She was two at the time and just cute as a button with her bald little head.  That smile was contagious.  As her parents shared her story, she just sat on their laps smiling.  Then we got to ask the question.   "Hannah, what do you wish for?", and her answer was the cutest little thing, and the biggest heartbreaker.  In her tiny little, 2-year-old voice, Hannah said, "I want pigtails."

What a huge wish for a 2-year-old with cancer going through chemo.  

The very next year, we are back doing the CMN Radiothon, and Hannah comes running in, and she had pigtails, they were tiny pigtails, but she had them.  I'll admit, my eyes started leaking when I saw those pigtails.

I still share the impact Hannah has had on my life to this day.  If find myself speaking with a family who has a child going through the same cancer diagnosis, I will tell them all about Hannah, and beating her cancer.

It has been a privilege knowing this young woman and seeing her beat cancer and grow into an amazing woman.

Luckily, for Hannah and her family, Children's Miracle Network was available to help with Hannah's Cancer fight.

Hannah was able to beat cancer after 2 1/2 years she went into remission.

Hannah is now 25 years old.  She is pursuing a degree and even has some really amazing side businesses.

She married her high school sweetheart Jr., and they live and work right here in Amarillo along with their furbaby.

Hannah's husband was also helped by Children's Miracle Network when he was in the 11th grade.  CMN is an organization that has been here in Amarillo for over 40 years and has helped out thousands of families right here in the Texas Panhandle.

Hannah beat cancer and has seen other tragedies in her life, including losing her mother when she was in her early teens.   Hannah is surrounded by a loving and amazing family and support system, including her sister, her nieces, and her nephews whom she spoils rotten, and the amazing family she gained when she married Jr.  The great thing about Hannah is she gives back just as much as she receives if not more.

The strength she showed as a toddler, is evident in Hannah today.  She is a strong young woman full of love and she is moving mountains.

In reality, [Cancer] has done more good than it did bad.  [/pullquotes]

Hannah will always share the goodness of Children's Miracle Network, and how it helped her and her family.   She shared how much she is grateful that the organization is still around even 23 years after it helped her and her family.  "They did so much for me, and I know they are never going to stop."

When asked what Hannah has learned from everything she's been through she had the most profound answer, and an answer that we should all learn from.

Join us for the Children's Miracle Network Mediathon on Wednesday, May 3rd.  We will share stories of hope, and encouragement.  Stories just like Hannah's.