Alea would have rolled her eyes and made a snarky comment about being chosen to be highlighted for this article. She would have even laughed out loud thinking about how she would reply or configure words to describe high school.
Sadly, Alea passed away on Jan. 28, 2024. She had completed all of her high school classes by the end of December, but she hoped to graduate with each of you on May 26, 2024. She looked forward to graduating on her birthday on that same special day and dreamed of becoming an Oncology nurse. Those dreams and the persistent hope of making a difference allowed Alea to maintain focus and drive.
She thought about volleyball, softball, band, choir, sign language, poetry, prom, friends, and college, but unfortunately, Osteosarcoma had made other plans. Cancer took away her dreams of sports and running, and even the ability to walk. Alea could adapt, persevere, and use the pain of what could have been to create change. Not only did she fight this aggressive form of cancer for over five and a half years, she saw the needs of others.
Her crusade to be a beacon of hope became her battle cry for change. Alea stood at the House of Representatives in Washington D.C. to speak directly to lawmakers to ensure Childhood Cancer Research was adequately funded. She didn’t stop, ever: Through her years of being a patient at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, she imagined directly impacting the children on the Oncology unit, and thus, “Bearing Hope” was born. She created and cultivated her nonprofit into a legacy of her life and the lives of others. Alea was a writer and poet, and incredibly brilliant. Her book “When Life Gives You Cancer” was written to help readers understand the trauma and travesty of being a teen or young adult with cancer.
Bearing Hope will be Alea’s legacy. Her greatest achievement was helping others in meaningful ways incognito. She never wanted recognition or a pat on the back, Alea knew her time living would be short. She knew what was important and in 18 years she wanted to inspire others to be more than just themselves, to make a lasting impact, and most importantly she never wanted to be forgotten. Say her name. Pause. Look around and change what matters
Alea loved penguins; it was beyond a passion and perhaps closer to an obsession. She was specific in her penguin species of choice. She discovered that Fairy Blue Penguins were once close to extinction. Primarily located in Phillip’s Island, Australia, and parts of New Zealand, these creatures would bring about immense change through conservation. They were just trying to survive but, in the process, became a force for positivity, passion, and partnership.
Alea was one person, and yes, she had cancer. But she brought awareness. She brought love. She insisted on inclusion and kindness without an agenda. She will be remembered. Her legacy will “waddle on” as you share her story. Alea would want you to “waddle on”. She would want you to take a little memory of her with you as you begin your adventure. She would want you to laugh so hard you pee yourself. She would want you to dance in the rain, splashing in puddles and causing a scene. She would want you to travel and visit her beautiful Fairy Blues in Australia, and maybe catch a glimpse of a penguin named Alea swimming and diving in the ocean.
Alea loved living. She treasured each friend she met along the way. She would want you to live for her. She would want you to make other people’s lives better, by just “Bearing Hope” and smiling. Her life may have been short, but in 18 years she was able to make a legacy of love, friendship, and inclusion. Carry that with you and remember Class of 2024, waddle on.
Written by AJ Ramsey and edited by Arlingtonian Editorial Staff.