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VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- These are the past fewer weeks that Marcos Carrillo volition locomotion the field of Redwood High School successful Visalia.
The elder is gearing up for graduation day.
He started his precocious schoolhouse vocation crossed municipality astatine El Diamante.
He played shot arsenic the squad kicker his freshman and sophomore years.
Ahead of his inferior year, helium transferred to Redwood High.
Unable to play shot due to the fact that of transportation rules, helium stayed engaged with his family, hanging retired with friends and sticking to schoolhouse work.
Then the outpouring semester came along, and helium felt a lump successful his close armpit.
"At first, I thought I had conscionable injured it due to the fact that it conscionable felt sore. But then, eventually, we went to the doc due to the fact that it wasn't going away," Marcos said.
Doctors diagnosed him with Anaplastic ample compartment lymphoma (ALCL).
It's a uncommon signifier of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, meaning achromatic humor cells turn retired of control.
"I celebrated my birthday, but past the play after, that's erstwhile I started treatment," Marcos said.
In March of past year, close aft turning 17, helium started chemotherapy.
He would spell to the infirmary for five-day stretches.
If helium didn't get sick, he'd spell location for 21 days earlier returning to bash it each again.
His ma stayed with him astir of the time, but his friends and household would often visit.
Then, successful August, aft six agelong months of treatment, helium got to ringing the doorbell signifying helium was done with chemo.
Marcos finished his inferior twelvemonth done autarkic study.
He was officially declared cancer-free and went backmost to schoolhouse successful October of past year.
"Physically, I felt bully capable to beryllium back. Mentally, it was similar 'How americium I going to drawback up with enactment and stuff?'" Marcos said.
Despite the schoolhouse enactment stacked against him, Marcos worked hard and finished the autumn semester with a 3.6 GPA.
His Ethnic Studies teacher, Jacob Huerta Jr, says initially, helium didn't cognize Marcos was a crab survivor.
"You ne'er would've realized that unless idiosyncratic would've shared it due to the fact that helium conscionable doesn't look -- helium seems similar a nice, steadfast young man." Huerta said. "It's precise inspirational that helium wants to beryllium here, that he's trying his best, his hardest."
Things person been looking up for Marcos since returning to school.
During outpouring break, helium got to spell connected a travel to Washington, D.C. with different kids who were hospitalized astatine Valley Children's Hospital.
They saw the monuments and took portion successful activities conscionable for them.
But connected the formation home, caller concerns sparked arsenic Marcos felt a acquainted soreness successful his armpit.
"I didn't consciousness a lump oregon anything, but I felt the soreness and the adjacent time is erstwhile I felt similar a small lump," Marcos said.
He's presently undergoing tests to spot if his crab has returned.
He says, regardless, he's focused connected making definite he's capable to graduate.
He says if his crab has returned, he's acceptable to get close to attraction and bushed it again.
"I mean, I'm inactive trying my champion to crook successful each my worldly truthful I inactive person my worldly to postgraduate if I'm steadfast capable to walk. If not, past astatine slightest I cognize myself that I did what I could."
Marcos says his main precedence aft graduation volition beryllium staying healthy. After that, helium wants to spell to commercialized schoolhouse to go an electrician.
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