Everything started to change two weeks before Tonya’s 18th birthday in September. Tonya began to notice some leg pain while walking around her house. However, it wasn’t going away. Tonya’s parents knew something wasn’t right. They took her to the doctors and discovered that Tonya had Mesenchymal Chondrosarcoma. Everything changed for them.
The doctors weren’t sure what would help Tonya, so they experimented with different options. Luckily with all of their experiments, they have cleared some cancer out of her lungs. However, cancer has gone into her skull and affected the sight in her left eye.
Mesenchymal Chondrosarcoma is an extremely rare and aggressive form of sarcoma cancer, with only 800 recorded cases since 1959. It is an uncommon type of Chondrosarcoma, a bone cancer that arises from the cartilage cells. Cartilage is a tissue that is used to cushion joints. Mesenchymal Chondrosarcoma is fast-growing and often spreads to other parts of the body. Once an individual is diagnosed with this aggressive and cruel cancer, they are given at most a 5-year life expectancy.
Tonya is a cheerful, resilient, and endearing 18-year-old woman, who enjoys playing pokemon, training her dog Zoe, and coloring.
This year, Cram The Stands raised over $17,000. This was the first 'normal' Cram The Stands since 2020, making it a great return to form for the event.
This years shirt featured Zoe, Tonya's beloved dog, as well as lots of positive messages. It was designed to look like a coloring book, highlighting Tonya's love of drawing.
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