A 15-year-old girl from Newton is fighting blood cancer, prompting a swab drive to find a donor match for her and others in need
Johnna has been through a lot, facing multiple rounds of chemotherapy. It’s been tough, but she’s hanging in there. She shared that hearing the diagnosis was scary and overwhelming.
She was flown to Children’s Mercy in Kansas City to start her treatment. Starting high school while dealing with cancer has been a real challenge for her. Johnna admitted that even getting her blood drawn was traumatic for her.
Her stepmom, Samantha, has been right by her side. She said it was heartbreaking to hear the diagnosis and watch Johnna go through this.
In a twist of fate, Johnna learned that a senior volleyball player’s mom had faced the same cancer and found a match through a non-profit. This inspired the community to organize a swab drive to help find a match for Johnna.
Regan Hirsh, the volleyball player, wants to rally her classmates to support Johnna. She knows firsthand how tough this battle can be and wants to do everything possible to help.
Johnna is hopeful that the drive will not only help her but also others in need of a donor. She’s excited about the community coming together for this cause.
The swab drive is happening this Saturday at Newton High School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s super easy—just a quick cheek swab, and you could be added to a global registry to help someone fighting blood cancer. If you can’t make it, you can still join the registry with a free at-home test from DKMS.
