Cancer survivor revisits Royal Oak hospital that saved her life
(CBS DETROIT) - "It makes me happy... the idea behind this whole mural was for the yellows to be the supporting and the families and as you know the blue in the middle is the cancer survivor's tiles," said Brenna Hendler, a cancer survivor.
During a long-term checkup at Corewell Health in Royal Oak, Hendler revisited a mosaic-tiled wall that was created more than 20 years ago. The tile she created was a unicorn-looking animal inside of a blue tile.
"I was really into unicorns… So that's all I remember because I was 3," Hendler said.
Hendler's mother, Denise Hendler, said there was a lot she and her husband remembered about the time her daughter was diagnosed with ALL, or Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.
"Is your child going to live, how long are they going to live, is this all going to work, are they going to die?" Denise Hendler said.
Shortly after her daughter's diagnosis, Denise Hendler said they had to make a decision about being a part of an experimental cancer treatment. She said the decision was made easier because the family trusted the team caring for Brenna.
"If there were other families before us that were brave enough to do this we could too," Denise Hendler said.
Dr. Charles Main said he first began working in cancer treatment and research in the 1960s. At the time, he said, children diagnosed with ALL only had a 5% chance of survival.
However, he said, due to brave parents like the Hendlers over the years, experimental drugs could be developed and now children with the same diagnosis enjoy a 90% survival rate.
"It's been great because we go to a lot more weddings and a lot more graduates now," Main said.
Main said he's been retired from hematology and oncology for about six years but is now serving in the long-term care department a few days per month. In this limited role, Dr. Main said he is able to check up with patients he treated years ago.
"It's like a family reunion, a lot of tears, lots of hugs"
Hendler is now 28 years old and engaged to be married. She is also working with children at a daycare in Ypsilanti.
She said she is forever grateful for the staff at Corewell Health and the continued love and support she receives from her family.
