Stories of progress, inspiration, and information in overcoming osteosarcoma.
“The water is even prettier in person than in pictures, if you can believe that,” says Emily Long. “It was the trip of a lifetime.”
Emily and her daughter, Addison, traveled to Tahiti in October 2024 to celebrate the successful end of Addison’s osteosarcoma treatment.
“Treatment was a really hard nine months, and looking forward to the trip is what kept us going a lot of the time,” Emily says. “The trip was extra special because it was just the two of us, kind of like all those nights we spent together in the hospital, but without the beeping machines keeping us awake.”
While it ended up being exactly what they needed, the trip to Tahiti was not quite what the mother-daughter duo had planned.
“Originally, we were supposed to go to Greece,” Emily says. “Then Addison was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, so we had to cancel.”
Before the unexpected diagnosis in December 2023, Addison was a vibrant and active 16-year-old. Then, she started having persistent knee pain and swelling. A trip to the emergency department ended with an X-ray, but because Addison had a school function that evening, she was discharged before the results came in.
“Addison went into her event, and I was parking the car when I got the phone call from the emergency room physician, who happens to be a good friend of ours,” Emily says. “He was using all these medical terms, and I was like, ‘What are you saying?’ And that is when he said, ‘It looks like osteosarcoma — bone cancer.’”
On the doctor’s advice, Emily, Addison, and her father drove two and a half hours to UC Davis Medical Center that weekend.
Emily, Addison, and her family barely had time to process the gravity of the situation before her osteosarcoma treatment began.
“It all happened so fast,” Emily recalls. “We did not have the luxury of sitting down and letting it all hit us,” Emily explains. “It was just go, go, go.”
Addison began chemotherapy just five days after her diagnosis. Over the next nine months, she experienced the grueling reality of cancer treatment. She endured countless hospital stays, often lasting more than a week, as well as multiple rounds of chemotherapy that left her exhausted and nauseated. In March 2024, surgeons removed most of her femur and her knee, replacing them with metal components.
“It was incredibly tough for her,” Emily says. “She had just gained her independence as a teenager — driving, going out with friends — and suddenly, she could not even get out of bed without help.”
Despite the physical and emotional toll, Addison was determined not to let cancer derail her education. Through an independent study program, she continued her honors-level coursework, maintaining straight A’s even during the most challenging phases of treatment.
“School was her way of feeling normal,” Emily says. “Even on her worst days, she pushed herself to study and attend class when she could, balancing on crutches and carrying her backpack.”
At the “prom” her hospital hosted for her, Addison danced with a friend, had dinner, and was able to feel like a regular teenager for a little while, says her mom, Emily.
Like most teens, Addison looked forward to prom. She had picked out the perfect dress, shoes, and accessories, excitedly planning the evening with her close friend. But just days before the dance, a neutropenic fever and sepsis landed her back in the hospital, dashing her hopes of attending.
“She was devastated,” Emily recalls. “Prom is one of those milestones you do not want to miss, and it felt like cancer was stealing yet another piece of her normal life.”
The incredible staff at UC Davis, however, refused to let the moment pass without celebration.
“They threw her a prom in the hospital,” Emily says. The nurses transformed a spare room into a mini ballroom, complete with a disco ball, and decorated it to match Addison’s school’s casino-night theme. The hospital chef prepared a special meal, and they played Addison’s favorite music.
“She danced with her friend, had dinner, and was able to feel like a regular teenager for a little while,” Emily says. “Everyone cried — me, the nurses, the doctors, everyone. It was a moment of pure joy in the middle of such a hard journey.”
Addison completed treatment in August 2024, just in time to begin her senior year of high school. While she is busy enjoying senior activities and planning for college — she is applying to schools with aspirations of becoming a doctor — the transition to life after cancer has not been without challenges.
“For me, it has been hard,” Emily says. “There is the worry about recurrence, and ‘scanxiety’ is real. But I am learning to appreciate the little things, like grocery shopping for more than a couple of days’ food at a time and being able to put the suitcase away.”
Addison’s outlook is equally inspiring. “She was complaining about having to go to school early one morning, and then she stopped herself,” Emily says. “She said, ‘You know, Mom, just a few weeks ago, I was wishing that I could be going to school.’ It just changes your frame of mind, and you are just grateful for normal things.”
Emily decided to share Addison’s story because she felt it was important for other families to see success stories.
“When this first started, I remember there was a story of someone who had survived osteosarcoma on the morning news. And it was just what we needed at the time,” Emily says. “I just want people to know that there are happy endings. I feel very strongly that Addison is going to be a happy ending.”
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