A journey of strength: Meraki High School junior finds support and purpose through her cancer battle

Meraki High School junior Madi Rogers was looking forward to finishing her school year and continuing her routine at work in the spring of 2024. What she thought were simple allergy symptoms during spring break turned out to be the early signs of a cancer diagnosis.

"By the Monday after break, I could barely move. My mom called my doctor and we ended up in the emergency room. That was the start of everything. I didn’t know it then, but I wasn’t going home anytime soon,"  Rogers recalled. 

Doctors discovered a large mass in Rogers’ chest that was compromising her breathing. She was transferred to Sutter Medical Center and later to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at UC Davis. It was there that Rogers’ was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer.

"It was terrifying. I had never had an IV (a tube used to give medicine through a vein) or scan before, and suddenly I was going through bone marrow tests, biopsies, and chemo. It all happened fast," said Rogers.

Despite the overwhelming experience, Rogers remained grounded, supported by her family, friends and school community. Therapy dogs, visitors and the care teams around her helped make her hospital stays feel a little less isolating.

At school, her teachers and counselor worked closely with her family to make sure she could stay connected academically when possible while prioritizing her health. Rogers’ teacher and counselor, Scott Evans, said they shifted their focus from academics to making sure she felt supported through the district's Home and Hospital Instruction program, which provides temporary instruction at home or in a medical setting for students who are unable to attend school due to serious health conditions.

 "It quickly became clear that treatment had to come first, so we focused on supporting her however we could. Home and Hospital Instruction helped give her flexibility and time," said Evans.

Rogers said that the support she received from her teachers and friends meant the world to her. 

"Even when I couldn’t come to school, they checked in, played board games with me and just helped me not feel so alone," she shared.

Returning to school was not easy. Between neuropathy, chemotherapy side effects and brain fog, Rogers had to ease her way back into a routine. 

She shared that Meraki has been the perfect place for that. "They really listen to what I need. I’m on a modified schedule and I know I can ask for help whenever I need it."

Now continuing follow-up care and back at school on a modified schedule, Rogers is adjusting to a new rhythm of life. The experience changed her in many ways, but one thing stands out: she wants to help others.

"I want to be a motivational speaker. If I can make one person feel less alone, then it’s worth it," she said.

She hopes her story shows other students that even in the darkest times, there is a way forward. 

"You can do it. Even when it feels impossible, just keep going," she said.

With the hardest part behind her, she’s focused on what comes next. Her cancer is in complete remission and she’s determined to use her experience to raise awareness and support others.