Meet Taryn - a 17-year-old student at Desert Vista High School battling Ewing Sarcoma.
She began having pain in her right shoulder in September and progressed over the next two weeks; a lipoma found on her right shoulder blade caused concern, so her doctor suggested surgery to remove it. A few days before surgery, Taryn began having intense pain and vomiting, so they rushed to the ER in Ahwatukee. A CAT scan of her torso showed a large mass wrapped around her entire abdomen, and we went directly to Phoenix Children's Hospital. After two weeks, Taryn was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma on November 5th and began chemotherapy the next day. Taryn is undergoing chemotherapy to shrink the tumor, followed by radiation or surgery and potentially four more months of chemotherapy.
Taryn has grown up in the Ahwatukee area, attending many schools within the Kyrene, Horizon, and Tempe school districts. She was an active lacrosse player in middle school and played through her sophomore year at Desert Vista, where she turned her sights toward working. At 16, Taryn enjoyed working at the Ahwatukee Dunkin Donuts for the summer and at Carrabba's and Philly's during the school year. With her recent diagnosis, she is currently not working and attending school online to complete her senior year. Taryn plans to graduate from Desert Vista High School, take a few business classes at Chandler-Gilbert community college, work full-time, and travel to Europe for a month. She is also interested in becoming a Realtor.
