Cleveland Clinic pediatric cancer patient uses singing to help others like her

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Sasha Friedman is a typical 12-year-old in many ways — she loves video games, playing outside, and sharing content on social media.

But much of that carefree life has been taken away from the Atlanta girl by a rare form of cancer called Ewing sarcoma, a battle she has fought for the past two years.

"I can't do a lot of that because I'm fragile," Sasha said, with a wry smile.

Her journey began with what seemed like a routine health concern.

"It was her nurse at school who said, 'She's been complaining of a neck sprain for about a week. Why don't you get an X-ray?'" recalled her mother, Julya. "The scans immediately showed a tumor."

From that moment, life moved fast. Sasha was rushed to the emergency room, and oncology became part of their daily vocabulary. Multiple surgeries followed as doctors worked to remove tumors that kept appearing throughout her body, including on her skull.

Along the way, Sasha and her mother formed bonds with other patients, including Liv, an 8-year-old battling the same rare cancer. In a twist of fate, the two families met on a flight home from Hawaii, seated in the same row.

"Her mom was like, 'Excuse me ... are you Sasha?' I was like, 'Yes, I am,'" Sasha recalled.

The two girls became close friends, sharing their experiences in the fight against cancer. Tragically, Liv died earlier this year.

"It definitely took a real piece out of my heart," Sasha said. "Some of these people you get very close with, and then when they leave, it can be very sad."

Despite the heartbreak, Sasha channeled her grief into music. After a radiation treatment session, she sang an impromptu tribute to her friend, "Liv It Up," at a radiothon for Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital. The emotional song captures Sasha's message to live in the moment and cherish life's beauty.

Maureen Kyle reports. --


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Category
Oncology
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