Meet Ashley in this one-on-one fun interview. Get inspired, then, get involved in The American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Bluffton this year. It’s not too late. It happens on Friday, April 4th starting at 7pm and goes all night ‘til 7:30 am at the USCB Bluffton campus. This is the month to stand up for those who have been touched by cancer.

Written By Lisa Carroll
Photgraphy by Donna Huffman

shley is the 2008 Honorary Chair for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Bluffton. She is young, beautiful, enthusiastic, and all about being an active 15 year old Bluffton High School student. Ashley Lamiroult’s ordinary “I’m bored” teenage life soon became extraordinary when she was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia called APML for short. The fight, the challenge, the highs and lows have molded her into a strong and very wise young lady in a short period of time. Best of all, she is now in remission and filled with plenty of passion for dreaming and for living.

The interview began with the standard, “How do you formally spell your name?” The goal was to get some simple facts, then eventually move into the bigger topic. However, the second question establishing her birth date immediately led to Ashley’s recollection of first hearing that she had leukemia.

ASHLEY: I am 15 years old and I remember exactly when I heard the news that I had leukemia. It was two days before my birthday on August 3rd, 2007 at 11:05 a.m. How do I remember that? Well, I knew that my sister had a birthday present for me and I’m the type that can’t wait. I had convinced my sis into letting me open my present. Just as I started to open the gift, in walks my mom blurting out that we have to go to Charleston to MUSC right away, like right then. Now my mom is always joking with me, so I did not believe her at first. We even jokingly talked about it being leukemia when I went in to get a blood test when this all started.

BB: How did it start? Were you feeling sick?
ASHLEY: I just had a lot of bad bruises that weren’t healing very fast. The doctor thought it was an iron deficiency. I felt fine. I’ve always been healthy with super family genes I’ve inherited.

BB: So, you left for MUSC on the same day?
ASHLEY: Yes, I was admitted straight into the hospital. They’re telling me that I have a rare form of leukemia, my mom is crying and I’m like totally numb to what is happening. By midnight I was in their chemotherapy wing getting ready for a port. They wanted to start treatments as fast as they could. I’m thinking.....oh, crud! Life is really going way too fast now. By August 6th, I had a bone biopsy. Now I have these funky little scars on my hips. They look like pink freckles. Then, August 7th, I got my port.

BB: What is a port?
ASHLEY: A port is placed under the skin. The line is fed directly to my heart allowing medicine or whatever to go straight into the blood stream. They can take blood from it or anything and it’s much easier than a regular IV.

Our conversation is interrupted as family arrives home. There is typical family noise in the background, including the sound of someone picking up another line in the house. Ashley (in typical teenage girl style) yells out for her sibling to get off the phone!

BB: Ashley, what are you into these days? Music? Books?
ASHLEY (excitedly): Literature. Fantasy fictional literature, as weird as that may sound. I get in trouble for reading too much sometimes. I just get caught up in it. I’ve always loved reading and I’m writing a book, too. I’m really excited because one of my favorite books, Twilight by Stephanie Meyer is being made into a movie and the Make A Wish Foundation has arranged for me to go to watch some of the filming. I can’t wait to meet the actor who is playing the main character, Tyler Posey. He is amazingly cute and a good actor! He will be able to play the part for sure and the author will be there, too. I get to go to both Oregon and Michigan where they’re filming this.

BB: So, what is a regular day like for you right now?
ASHLEY (gets a little more reserved): During the day, it’s just me sitting around. Everyone else is off to work or school and I’ve seen so many re-runs. I’ve been out of school for the past three weeks because the flu is going around. Now this is going to sound kind of funny... when everyone is gone, it’s too quiet or something and then when everyone does get home, I wish I were alone.

BB: Now that sounds like a typical teenager! Never satisfied.
ASHLEY (laughing): I know. I’m a sophomore at Bluffton High School. I have a homebound teacher that meets me at the Bluffton library. That’s much better than just hanging out at the house.

BB: Let’s go back to your time at MUSC, how long were you there?
ASHLEY: I was there from August through September. It felt like forever to me. When it all started up at the hospital, I just felt numb. I didn’t want to feel anything. I knew that I had to be the one to take this on and make the best of it. I would see my mom cry and I knew that I needed to be strong for her. I wanted to get through this for my mom and dad and my step dad. One of the worst parts was a muscle infection that I got in my leg. It took a while for them to figure out that I was allergic to my oral chemotherapy. My fever went up to 104 and my leg was so sore. I couldn’t even walk anymore and the worst part was I still had to take the oral chemo even though I was allergic to it.

BB: That sounds like a low point.
ASHLEY: Yeah, and then I decided to shave my head (she describes proudly). You know in the summer, my hair was so long and I had dyed it darker. I loved the length. Right after I started taking the IV chemo, my hair started thinning out. I could run my hand through my hair and feel strands coming out. One of the nurses came in and she cut off my ponytail when I asked her to do it. The next day I shaved all my hair off. My mom and my mom’s friend, Karen helped.

BB: When did things start turning around?
ASHLEY: Well, it got worse before it got better. The doctors told my mom that the chemo. wasn’t working. My blood counts were bad. They didn’t expect me to make it through September. They didn’t tell me, just my mom. They told her to take me home to see all of my friends. And, that’s when it happened, I came back from being at home and seeing my family and friends and my counts were back to normal. We couldn’t believe it. They made us wait for three hours before they called us in to share the news. It all changed radically in a one week period!

BB: Alright! So how are you doing now?
ASHLEY: I get tired sometimes which scares me a little, but other than that I feel great. I go every two weeks for blood tests. So far so good...
I’m in remission.

BB: So what’s next for Ashley Lamiroult?
ASHLEY: Gee, I don’t know. I’m finishing my book. My friend Nicoletta is also writing a book, too. We have a lot in common and we like to talk about the movies we’ve seen and what we’re reading.

BB: What’s the name of your book?
ASHLEY: I haven’t completely decided, but maybe Unveiled or The Other Side. For now Shattered To Pieces is my favorite title. The book I’m writing is all fantasy!

BB: And now you’re the Honorary Chair for the 2007 Relay For Life of Bluffton? Will they treat you like royalty?
ASHLEY (laughingly): That’s what I hear, so I’m planning on wearing my tiara!

And thus ended the interview with this intelligent, funny young lady. Ashley and her family are so grateful to their community for the support provided and all the loving ways so many have jumped in to help.

Lamiroult.ashley.bhs@hotmail.com