Gabby's Story

In October 2024, I got my third concussion playing club basketball. Ironically, this concussion would go on to save my life. Every day after, I woke up and could not gain my footing. I ran into walls, felt insane fatigue, and struggled to make it through days without several naps. But hey I was a college senior who loved to go out, so this was normal right? 

Wrong. I would come to learn that no; this was not normal. I went through my senior year, graduated from Penn State with my degree in Communications, and started working full time at Cigna Healthcare.

My time at Cigna proved to be difficult. I commuted into Philadelphia from the King of Prussia area and would experience delusion and exhaustion early in my days. Again, I attributed my fatigue to my concussion. Unrelated, I had to get my wisdom teeth out in June of 2025. I underwent a successful procedure with no complications.

A little over a month later, I went to Vermont for vacation and got a massage. The masseuse mentioned that she felt a swollen lymph node. When I got home from Vermont, I went back to my wisdom teeth doctor, and I told them I was concerned. They looked in my mouth, told me everything looked okay, and temporarily allayed my fears.

But I couldn't shake this feeling that something was seriously wrong. My list of maladies was ever growing, so I went back to my PCP who ordered me an ultrasound and CT scan.

Then the unthinkable happened; my scan lit up.

I went to an ENT who told me he was suspicious that I had Cancer. Instantly, my world went STILL. I, Gabby Cooper, age 22, had cancer? This was not real life. A week later, my surgeon confirmed that I had Stage 2 Hodgkin Lymphoma, and the real journey started.

I went through two rounds of egg retrieval, and in December 2025 I started 6 months' worth of chemotherapy. Everything I ever knew came to a screeching halt. The world as I knew it completely changed, and all a sudden I was a patient in this crazy healthcare system.

I experienced every emotion in the book. Depression, Confusion, Worry, and most of all loneliness. I reached a point where I could no longer see the positives. My world became dark, and I leaned heavily on those around me. I realized in my hardest moments that it is imperative to rely on those who pick you up. Fortunately, I had an amazing support system.

Those dark days were the inspiration for STILL. Because no matter how hard things got, at the end of the day, I was STILL. Living. and STILL. A badass. I want anyone who is going through a difficult time to know that they are not alone. No matter how hard it gets, they have people, including me, who are here for them. I hope this hoodie serves as a reminder that life's hardest moments do not define us and only make us a stronger.