ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — 10 years after winning his battle with leukemia, Pepper Vigil is using his experience to help children and teens fight that same fight.
It all started one day at practice. Vigil thought he sprained his knee.
“But I was in so much pain that I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t walk, I was not eating. They did some blood tests and, next thing I know, I had leukemia,” Vigil said.
That diagnosis changed everything for then-15-year-old Pepper and his family.
“It took a lot of things from me. I didn’t get to go to high school. I was a pretty prospective athlete going into high school. It just kind of took that normalcy into my life,” Vigil said.
At one point in his journey, the Make-a-Wish Foundation granted his wish to visit Rome.
“It was probably one of the best things to ever happen to me, while I was in treatment,” Vigil said.
Make-a-Wish granted the wish with the help of volunteers and sponsors, including Dion’s Pizza.
It’s now been 10 years since that trip and a lot has changed then.
What’s remained the same is Vigil’s fight. Now, he’s not the main one in the battle – instead, he’s working as a pediatric oncology nurse at UNM Hospital where he helps other children and teens going through the same fight he fought.
Source: Pediatric cancer survivor honored for work as pediatric nurse
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