Latest news with #BreezeHunter
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A college student thought she had a sinus infection. She was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive cancer.
Breeze Hunter, 22, started experiencing fatigue and headaches during her senior year of college. Months later, she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a rare form of cancer. Following a successful cell transplant, Hunter is recovering and plans to walk at her graduation. Breeze Hunter started off her senior year at Texas A&M University with a typical head cold. She only started to worry when it lasted almost two months. She was tired all the time, her days dotted with shortness of breath and headaches that she'd never had before. Campus doctors told her she had a sinus infection that was likely prolonged from the usual busyness of being a full-time student and sorority member. Her symptoms progressed. After a campus doctor pushed her to get bloodwork, she learned her levels were "all over the place," Hunter, 22, told Business Insider. Days later, at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, doctors confirmed that she had acute myeloid leukemia — a rare and more aggressive form of the cancer. Abnormal white blood cells grow at a rapid pace, outnumbering healthy blood cells. "As soon as we found out, we just could not believe that it was actually happening that I had cancer," Hunter said. "It's a very scary moment, and it almost doesn't feel real." Once she was diagnosed with leukemia, treatment began immediately. The first round of chemotherapy worked very well — she went from a 95% blast, or percentage of abnormal blood cells, to 7%. To be considered in remission, a person with acute myeloid leukemia must have 5% or fewer blast cells in their body. Hunter did a second round of chemo, one that was "way harder" than the first. After that, she went straight into 11 days of radiation therapy on her brain and spine. "It burned my skin really bad," she said. "It took a big toll on my body." The treatments took her away from her campus life — the first chemo cycle alone involved a month-long stay at the hospital. To pass the time, she started making TikToks about her cancer experience, including a viral video of her parodying MTV's "Cribs" by giving a tour of her hospital room. Hunter, who didn't grow up watching the show, got the idea from her sister. They watched clips for the first time before Hunter took to the camera, sharing her makeshift closet and framed photos of her family. Hunter leaned on her family, boyfriend, and friends during this period of time. "When you're alone, you overthink things and you think the worst of the worst," she said. "I never had that happen, which is amazing." She also connected with other young people with leukemia, including a former high school classmate she used to cheerlead with. "I ask how she is almost every day and just see if she needs anything or someone just to talk to," Hunter said. "It is very hard — we are so young and we're missing out on a lot of young adult things." As of December, Hunter is in remission. Even so, Hunter needed a stem cell transplant after chemo and radiation to replace her cancer cells with healthy ones. Her brother was a 100% donor match. The transplant was completed in January and was "definitely the hardest thing I've ever done," Hunter said. In her ongoing recovery, she said she lost a lot of weight and developed mucositis, a common inflammatory condition that can develop after cancer treatment. Now, she's slowly gaining weight back and hoping to grow out her hair. Hunter's hospital and doctors' visits have gone from daily to once a week. Hunter, who continued to take online classes so she could recover at home with her family, received her degree in agricultural leadership and development with economics on May 9. She's excited to walk at graduation. After that, she's going on a vacation with her family — something she hasn't been able to do due to being immunocompromised. "Just going back to normal and being able to do normal things, I'm really looking forward to," she said. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A college student thought she had a sinus infection. She was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive cancer.
Breeze Hunter, 22, started experiencing fatigue and headaches during her senior year of college. Months later, she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a rare form of cancer. Following a successful cell transplant, Hunter is recovering and plans to walk at her graduation. Breeze Hunter started off her senior year at Texas A&M University with a typical head cold. She only started to worry when it lasted almost two months. She was tired all the time, her days dotted with shortness of breath and headaches that she'd never had before. Campus doctors told her she had a sinus infection that was likely prolonged from the usual busyness of being a full-time student and sorority member. Her symptoms progressed. After a campus doctor pushed her to get bloodwork, she learned her levels were "all over the place," Hunter, 22, told Business Insider. Days later, at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, doctors confirmed that she had acute myeloid leukemia — a rare and more aggressive form of the cancer. Abnormal white blood cells grow at a rapid pace, outnumbering healthy blood cells. "As soon as we found out, we just could not believe that it was actually happening that I had cancer," Hunter said. "It's a very scary moment, and it almost doesn't feel real." Once she was diagnosed with leukemia, treatment began immediately. The first round of chemotherapy worked very well — she went from a 95% blast, or percentage of abnormal blood cells, to 7%. To be considered in remission, a person with acute myeloid leukemia must have 5% or fewer blast cells in their body. Hunter did a second round of chemo, one that was "way harder" than the first. After that, she went straight into 11 days of radiation therapy on her brain and spine. "It burned my skin really bad," she said. "It took a big toll on my body." The treatments took her away from her campus life — the first chemo cycle alone involved a month-long stay at the hospital. To pass the time, she started making TikToks about her cancer experience, including a viral video of her parodying MTV's "Cribs" by giving a tour of her hospital room. Hunter, who didn't grow up watching the show, got the idea from her sister. They watched clips for the first time before Hunter took to the camera, sharing her makeshift closet and framed photos of her family. Hunter leaned on her family, boyfriend, and friends during this period of time. "When you're alone, you overthink things and you think the worst of the worst," she said. "I never had that happen, which is amazing." She also connected with other young people with leukemia, including a former high school classmate she used to cheerlead with. "I ask how she is almost every day and just see if she needs anything or someone just to talk to," Hunter said. "It is very hard — we are so young and we're missing out on a lot of young adult things." As of December, Hunter is in remission. Even so, Hunter needed a stem cell transplant after chemo and radiation to replace her cancer cells with healthy ones. Her brother was a 100% donor match. The transplant was completed in January and was "definitely the hardest thing I've ever done," Hunter said. In her ongoing recovery, she said she lost a lot of weight and developed mucositis, a common inflammatory condition that can develop after cancer treatment. Now, she's slowly gaining weight back and hoping to grow out her hair. Hunter's hospital and doctors' visits have gone from daily to once a week. Hunter, who continued to take online classes so she could recover at home with her family, received her degree in agricultural leadership and development with economics on May 9. She's excited to walk at graduation. After that, she's going on a vacation with her family — something she hasn't been able to do due to being immunocompromised. "Just going back to normal and being able to do normal things, I'm really looking forward to," she said. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
10-05-2025
- Health
- Business Insider
A college student thought she had a sinus infection. She was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive cancer.
Breeze Hunter started off her senior year at Texas A&M University with a typical head cold. She only started to worry when it lasted almost two months. She was tired all the time, her days dotted with shortness of breath and headaches that she'd never had before. Campus doctors told her she had a sinus infection that was likely prolonged from the usual busyness of being a full-time student and sorority member. Her symptoms progressed. After a campus doctor pushed her to get bloodwork, she learned her levels were "all over the place," Hunter, 22, told Business Insider. Days later, at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, doctors confirmed that she had acute myeloid leukemia — a rare and more aggressive form of the cancer. Abnormal white blood cells grow at a rapid pace, outnumbering healthy blood cells. "As soon as we found out, we just could not believe that it was actually happening that I had cancer," Hunter said. "It's a very scary moment, and it almost doesn't feel real." Rushing to treatment Once she was diagnosed with leukemia, treatment began immediately. The first round of chemotherapy worked very well — she went from a 95% blast, or percentage of abnormal blood cells, to 7%. To be considered in remission, a person with acute myeloid leukemia must have 5% or fewer blast cells in their body. Hunter did a second round of chemo, one that was "way harder" than the first. After that, she went straight into 11 days of radiation therapy on her brain and spine. "It burned my skin really bad," she said. "It took a big toll on my body." 'My 200 square foot mansion' The treatments took her away from her campus life — the first chemo cycle alone involved a month-long stay at the hospital. To pass the time, she started making TikToks about her cancer experience, including a viral video of her parodying MTV's "Cribs" by giving a tour of her hospital room. Hunter, who didn't grow up watching the show, got the idea from her sister. They watched clips for the first time before Hunter took to the camera, sharing her makeshift closet and framed photos of her family. Hunter leaned on her family, boyfriend, and friends during this period of time. "When you're alone, you overthink things and you think the worst of the worst," she said. "I never had that happen, which is amazing." She also connected with other young people with leukemia, including a former high school classmate she used to cheerlead with. "I ask how she is almost every day and just see if she needs anything or someone just to talk to," Hunter said. "It is very hard — we are so young and we're missing out on a lot of young adult things." A successful cell transplant As of December, Hunter is in remission. Even so, Hunter needed a stem cell transplant after chemo and radiation to replace her cancer cells with healthy ones. Her brother was a 100% donor match. The transplant was completed in January and was "definitely the hardest thing I've ever done," Hunter said. In her ongoing recovery, she said she lost a lot of weight and developed mucositis, a common inflammatory condition that can develop after cancer treatment. Now, she's slowly gaining weight back and hoping to grow out her hair. Hunter's hospital and doctors' visits have gone from daily to once a week. Hunter, who continued to take online classes so she could recover at home with her family, received her degree in agricultural leadership and development with economics on May 9. She's excited to walk at graduation. After that, she's going on a vacation with her family — something she hasn't been able to do due to being immunocompromised. "Just going back to normal and being able to do normal things, I'm really looking forward to," she said.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Student, 22, brushed off common symptoms as a sinus infection before life-changing cancer diagnosis
A 22-year-old student is urging people to take their symptoms seriously after what she believed to be a simple sinus infection was actually cancer. Breeze Hunter has revealed how she received the life-changing diagnosis after experiencing headaches for months on end, as well as persistent pressure in her nose. She had shared her concerns with a medic, who informed her she had 'a lot of fluid' in her ears which was causing her headaches and that she likely had a 'sinus infection'. When she headed back to the doctors a few months later still complaining of the continuing headaches as well as feeling 'very weak and fatigued', Breeze underwent some blood tests. The Texas A&M University student was informed that she was very anaemic - meaning her body was not producing enough healthy red blood cells - which rang alarm bells, and she was encouraged to take herself to hospital. Breeze headed to the University of Texas Medical Branch Hospital in her hometown of League City, Texas, and underwent further testing, where it emerged she was dealing with something a lot more sinister than a sinus infection. "I had many people coming in and saying, 'It's looking like a sign of leukaemia, but we'll keep testing because it could be a bunch of other things'," she told "I freaked out. I had no idea what leukaemia was. I was like, 'am I going to survive this? Or is it treatable?'" Her worst fears came true when doctors at the MD Anderson Cancer Center then confirmed she had acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), which the NHS describe as an 'aggressive cancer of the monocyte or granulocyte cells'. It's considered a rare form of the disease, and around 3,100 people in the UK are diagnosed with it each year. Symptoms tend to progressively get worse. Signs of AML can include looking pale or 'washed out', feeling tired or weak, breathlessness, frequent infections, unusual and frequent bruising or bleeding, and unexplained weight loss. Breeze's treatment quickly got underway and she first had a bone marrow aspiration, a procedure where doctors take a sample of the liquid part of your bone marrow to be sent off for testing. She also had a spinal tap, which is also known as a lumbar puncture, which is where a sample of cerebrospinal fluid is taken to be sent off for analysis. Doctors determined it would be best for her to stay in hospital as they tackled the AML head on by giving her chemotherapy infusions, with a pill for a week straight as part of a clinical trial. Medics saw a vast improvement in her health within 21 days, and Breeze was given a second round of the trial treatment. "I was supposed to get at least six rounds," the college student said. "The chemo worked so well I only had to do two." After 11 rounds of radiation and another blast of chemotherapy, Breeze then underwent a stem cell transplant. Thankfully, her younger brother Roy, 21, was a perfect match and was able to be her donor. Reflecting on her intense treatment, the young woman explained: "I got a radiation/chemo burn all over my body, which was very very painful and I was pretty much burnt all over. "Probably towards the end, I was over it. I was like, 'I can't do this. This is too much'. It was very hard at times but God's watching me. So, I knew I was going to be okay." Breeze remained in hospital for over a month as she recovered. Dr Courtney DiNardo, a professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center with an expertise in of leukaemia, said Breeze is now 'doing fantastic'. "Being a college student in the prime of your life getting dealt a life-threatening cancer diagnosis, I can only imagine how life altering and depressing it could be," he said. "But she's always had such a beautiful spirit and good attitude." Breeze will continue with chemotherapy treatment for the next year to be on the safe side - but says she is 'so excited' to make the most of her second chance at life. "Cancer is very, very scary," the student said. "If you ever have any side effects like headaches, you're losing weight, you have bruises on you, anything like that, go to the doctor and get blood work can't hurt you and it just tells you if something is wrong."
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
College student, 22, brushed off 2 common symptoms as a sinus infection before being diagnosed with CANCER
A Texas college student has revealed how a headache and pressure in her nose led her to discover she was suffering from an acute form of blood cancer. In September 2024, Breeze Hunter, 22, a student at Texas A&M University, felt like she was having a 'rubber band' pulling at her head and was rapidly losing weight. However, she kept dismissing her changing body and constant pain as a persistent sinus infection, something she was prone to. The young student recalled: 'I had a lot of fluid in my ears, which was causing the headaches. I went to a clinic a few times and they pretty much said it was a sinus infection.' But a month later, she decided to visit the doctor's office on her campus after finding herself too weak to walk up a flight of stairs or even go to classes - where she underwent a blood test. Realizing that Hunter was severely anemic - where the body lacks enough healthy red blood cells - doctors at the clinic urged her to go to an emergency room. She then tried going to an ER close to her campus but since they were full, Hunter decided to visit The University of Texas Medical Branch Hospital in her hometown League City, Texas. After multiple blood tests, Hunter and her family were finally told that she was suffering from high risk acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive blood cancer and was admitted to MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. She told 'I told them that the headaches are still here. I'm very weak and had fatigue. They recommended doing a blood test.' 'I had many people coming in and saying, 'It's looking like a sign of leukemia, but we'll keep testing because it could be a bunch of other things'. 'I freaked out. I had no idea what leukemia was. I was like am I going to survive this? Or is it treatable?' Acute myeloid leukemia affects the myeloid cells in the bone marrow which are responsible for maturing into red and white blood cells in the bloodstream. Once turned cancerous, these cells move from the bone marrow into the blood and spread the disease to other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, brain and spinal cord. When it affects the brain and spinal cord, it can cause symptoms like headaches and weakness in the body. Unlike other cancers, there are no numbered stages of AML and it can progress in rapid speeds. Some symptoms of AML include fatigue, feeling cold, dizziness, pale skin, shortness of breath, easy bruising and bleeding with no clear cause. The exact causes are unclear, however, smoking, being overweight, radiation exposure and previous chemotherapy can increase risks of developing AML. But many patients, like Breeze Hunter, don't fall into any of those categories. In 2024, over 20,00 Americans were diagnosed with AML and about 11,200 people died from the condition. Possible treatments often include chemotherapy, targeted therapy and at times stem cell transplantation (a medical procedure that replaces diseased or damaged blood-forming stem cells with healthy ones from a donor). Within days of being diagnosed, Hunter underwent a bone marrow aspiration (a sample of the liquid part of bone marrow taken for testing) and a spinal tap (a sample of cerebrospinal fluid taken from the lower part of the spine). The doctors at the MD Anderson Cancer Center also kept her in the hospital and placed her seven days of chemotherapy infusions along with an experimental cancer-fighting pill, which was part of a clinical trial. Much to their surprise, doctors tested Hunter's bone marrow after 21 days of starting chemotherapy to see if the treatment worked and saw improvement. She was then placed on a second seven-day round of the treatment and showed significant improvement. 'I was supposed to get at least six rounds,' Hunter said. 'The chemo worked so well I only had to do two.' According to her now-viral TikTok page, the college student was on a six-month chemotherapy plan that ended earlier this year. After undergoing 11 rounds of radiation to kill any possible lingering cancer cells in her brain and spine plus an new intense round of chemotherapy, she received a stem cell transplant from her 21-year-old brother, Roy. A stem cell transplant, also known as a bone marrow transplant, replaces damaged or diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells that can develop into different types of blood cells. It is done to treat various conditions, including certain cancers, blood disorders, and autoimmune diseases. 'I got a radiation/chemo burn all over my body, which was very very painful and I was pretty much burnt all over,' she said. The chemotherapy regimen 'was harder than the leukemia one.' Following the transplant, she has remained in the hospital for to make sure everything went well and protect her from potential infection from her weakened immune system. 'Probably towards the end I was over it. I was like, 'I can't do this. This is too much,' Hunter recalled. 'It was very hard at times but God's watching me. So, I knew I was going to be OK.' Since the end of her intense treatment, Hunter is now in remission and claims to feel better as well as stronger and intends to walk in her college graduation soon.
