Switching elementary schools before the third grade was a tiny adjustment for Brooke Beaubier compared to what she would later endure as a child.
“I remember the day that I got pulled out of school to go do a checkup and ended up just staying in the hospital and was diagnosed with cancer within the same week,” Beaubier said.
“It was a lot. I was 9 years old. I didn't really have any idea what was going on with me, but I missed school a lot. I ended up getting a flip phone from my parents so I could still stay in contact with my friends, and we would text every once in a while and catch up.”
It has not been easy for the last decade, but Beaubier has caught up.
On June 24, she celebrated her 10th anniversary of being cancer-free. She has endured osteochondrosis in both hips that ended her hopes of playing soccer and required the first of two hip replacement surgeries last year.
After the first hip replacement procedure, performed 13 months ago, she transferred to Grand Canyon University because of its Christian faith and online program, which allowed her to be closer to home.
She remained steadfast in her mission to graduate from college, not wanting to settle when it came to her education or a job.
“Brooke's story isn't just about overcoming adversity. It's about refusing to give up,” said Dr. Thomas Dyer, Beaubier’s professor in her 21st Century Skills: Communication and Information Literacy course last spring. “As her professor, I've seen firsthand her resilience, her humility and her willingness to keep showing up, even when life has given her plenty of reasons not to. I have no doubt her story will encourage others who are facing challenges of their own.”
Beaubier said she was diagnosed with Stage 4 lymphoma, which turned into leukemia, " and I had a tumor on my chest.”
Beaubier was an avid student before the cancer diagnosis. But she said the medication affected her eyesight and ability to get through classes.
“It was just a lot, and just kind of too much on me at the time, because I was in a pretty, pretty bad condition. It was a lot at such a young age, and they were trying to get me through elementary and middle school. It was definitely hard to not be in school and not have my friends, and I wasn't even able to see them because my immune system was so low.”
But Beaubier’s determination never wavered.
“I was sad about it, but I knew that I had a mission to complete. To do that, I needed to get through this in order to even make it through to the other side, to be able to see my friends and family again. I knew what I needed to do in order to get healthy again.”
Unfortunately, she paid a price for the leukemia treatment.
“I have osteochondrosis in both of my hips, and so it was from the prednisone that I was on at the time to shrink my tumor in my chest because it was too big to do surgery on,” Beaubier said. “I was on it for too long and ended up with a bone disease in both of my hips. It was a day of celebration (after the leukemia treatment), but I knew I had so much still ahead of me that I was going to have to face soon.”
Beaubier relied on her faith
“It was a moment where I had to look to God and just keep going, because I didn't really know what was going to happen with my future. But I knew that my faith in Him was more important, and He had a plan for me all this time.”
She completed junior high and high school and enrolled at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California. But she had to take time off for hip surgery, and the subsequent recovery time convinced her it would be more beneficial to continue her education online while living at her Roseville, California, home.
“I’ve always heard good things about (GCU), and one of my family friends who lives in Southern California said it was a great program for her,” Beaubier said. “I looked into it more, and then I got connected with one of the counselors for a while about it. All my credits ended up transferring, so it was just a good fit.”
Dyer, who underwent bilateral hip replacements by age 46 because of a degenerative hip disorder, admired Beaubier’s willingness to reach out for help and display a “determination not to let her circumstances define her.”
“Here is someone who has faced serious health challenges at such a young age, is preparing for another hip replacement, and yet continues to pursue her education with perseverance and hope,” Dyer said. “What made our connection especially meaningful to me was discovering that we've both experienced hip replacements at a relatively young age. Although our journeys are different, there was an immediate understanding that came from that shared experience.”
Beaubier, a communications major with an emphasis in interpersonal communication and human relations, is interested in working for the partnership with Disney and Make-A-Wish Foundation after she graduates from GCU.
“Make-A-Wish was a really big part in my journey with cancer,” Beaubier said. “It was just a really bright light in the middle of a lot of darkness, and so I've always wanted to work either for Make-A-Wish or just kind of another organization that helps kids, especially kids in those times of need. As of right now, that's my goal.”
Senior writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at [email protected]
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