Fighting Cancer at 14 with Faith and Positivity

At 14 years old, Emmanuel Cooper is facing the biggest battle of his life – a fight against cancer. But his positive attitude, his faith, and his loving bond with his family are keeping him strong.

“The first words that came out of his mouth when he found out he was sick were: I’m going to beat this,” remembers his mother, Chanda Johnson.

In June 2016, Emmanuel started having high fevers that just wouldn’t subside.

Concerned, his mother took him to a hospital near their home in West Palm Beach. At that time, he was diagnosed with mononucleosis, a virus more commonly known as “mono” that is spread through saliva and causes high fever, swollen lymph glands, and a sore throat.

“Two weeks later, Emmanuel was making a funny noise during his sleep, and I noticed his body was very cold,” said his mother. “He was suffering from severe hypothermia.”

Emmanuel’s mother sought a second opinion at Holtz Children’s Hospital at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center, where doctors began testing his immune system.

Tests revealed a large mass on the right side of his abdomen, which was then followed by a biopsy. The results were devastating.  Emmanuel was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer that causes cells in the lymphatic system to grow out of control.

“It was so devastating to learn about his diagnosis,” says Johnson. “I’ve been praying a lot. I prayed so hard for doctors to be able to figure out what was wrong with him.”

A day after his diagnosis, Emmanuel began chemotherapy treatments at Holtz Children’s.

According to the American Cancer Society, about 10,380 children in the United States under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer in 2016. While childhood cancers make up less than 1 percent of all cancers diagnosed each year, rates have been rising slightly for the past few decades.

For Emmanuel, maintaining a positive attitude throughout his journey is the key to getting through it. Despite his illness, the freshman at William T. Dwyer High School is focusing on the future and is not losing hope for a full recovery.

“I feel strong,” says Emmanuel.  “I keep my faith and I know I will get through this.”

Emmanuel, a talented sketch artist, spends his time at Holtz Children’s drawing, reading books, and singing. He is eager to get back to school, where he is a stellar student.

In February, Emmanuel was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society.  After completing eighth grade, he received a two-year scholarship to a college of his choice from Take Stock in Children.

His dream: to attend law school at Yale University in Connecticut.

His mother is confident that her son’s dream will come true.

“He is reacting well to the chemotherapy,” she said.  “I’m hopeful with his progress so far. There’s a chance he will go on remission.”

Emmanuel is scheduled to undergo two more cycles of chemotherapy at Holtz Children’s Hospital. The best advice he offers other kids battling cancer is to keep fighting, don’t give up, and keep the faith. And that’s exactly what he’s doing.