'Finish the Fight': Cancer survivor's artwork inspires Dallas Stars fans after beating rare blood disease
A Dallas woman who beat a rare and aggressive cancer is being celebrated in a special way. The Dallas Stars Foundation recently honored her at a home game not just for her strength, but for the artwork that helped her heal.
For Dallas attorney Gracen Moreno, last Friday's Stars game was about more than hockey.
"The entire arena... it seemed like everyone was either holding a shirt or talking about the shirt," she said.
A shirt she designed carries a powerful message, "Finish the Fight."
Last year, at just 29-years-old, Gracen was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer. At the time, she was preparing for a jury trial and planning a wedding two months away. The plans were suddenly moved up to just one week after her diagnosis.
"You kind of have your whole life ahead of you and then it turns out upside down," she said.
Her first symptom was a lingering cough. Then an X-ray revealed a nine-centimeter mass in her chest and a CT scan followed.
"My doctor called me and said don't panic but I need you to go to the emergency room to start getting the process in place to get out whatever is in your chest biopsied," she said.
Soon after came the news she feared most.
"When I heard or I found out that I had cancer, it's like your worst nightmare ever coming true," she said.
"Alk-Negative Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma is one of the rarest types of what we call non-Hodgkins lymphoma and it's particularly aggressive unless treated appropriately," Jana Reynolds, MD, a Texas Oncology physician on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center said.
Doctors told Gracen the prognosis wasn't good, only about a 30% chance of surviving five years.
"What happens when the worst possible thing that you think at the time is the worst possible thing happens to you?" she said. "Well, you can either give up, which is not an option, or you can decide to fight."
Fight she did. Through several rounds of grueling chemotherapy and, ultimately, a bone marrow transplant at Baylor Scott & White's Sammons Cancer Center.
"On one of my lowest days of hospitalization my husband looked at me and said do you want to go paint something?" she said. "How do we make this better? I couldn't see friends or family."
Inside the hospital's Arts in Medicine studio, Gracen began painting, using creativity to cope with the long days of treatment.
While there, her art therapist learned she was a Dallas Stars season ticket holder and when an opportunity came up, she knew exactly who to recommend.
"She came later to my hospital room and said you'll never believe this, but I got an email from the Stars earlier today asking if I knew any cancer patients that also participated in the art program and I think you would be perfect for it," she said.
At last Friday's home game, the Dallas Stars Foundation honored Gracen, celebrating her remission and her resilience.
The team asked her to design custom artwork for a special T-shirt given to the first 500 fans and even players.
"Everyone was really invested in the mission," Gracen said. "It was really cool to see fans, players, coaches, all either wearing the shirt or just celebrating the fight against cancer itself."
Her team of doctors say the recognition was well deserved.
"I'm so proud of her for accepting the challenge and honestly bringing more attention to the serious things that we face," Dr. Reynolds said.
"It was a really special night," Gracen said.