Meet Liliana!

Our 2022 Frank the Tank Scholar

Liliana Paez Gallardo was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2017, just days before her 20th birthday, when she was placed in intensive care and put on dialysis.

During her treatment, her family experienced financial, emotion, and educational hardships. Despite all the adversities, being diagnosed with cancer made Liliana grateful for life. After receiving dialysis, she made a promise to herself to make as many memorable experiences as possible and to achieve all of her goals if she lived--one of which was to become a social worker to help and support families like hers.

Liliana persevered through chemotherapy and successfully completed her undergraduate degree in 2019 with honors. She began working at an outpatient community mental health program and experienced first-hand the lack of support adolescents in the community had. This inspired her to continue her education and pursue a master's degree in social work!

Liliana is now in her first year of graduate school at Cal State Fullerton and plans to become an oncology social worker. We are so inspired by Liliana's strength and determination and are proud to call her our 2022 Frank the Tank Scholar!

Meet Jessicca!

Our 2020 & 2021 Frank the Tank Scholar

Jessicca Gonzalez was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2017, and spent most of 2018 fighting with her employer and insurance companies in order to get her treatment covered— all while recovering from a mastectomy and undergoing said treatment. She utilized GoFundMe to financially make it through that time, but later realized she hadn't had time to also deal with all the emotional issues that come with cancer. 

Now, a couple years later, Jessicca has recently recovered from her second reconstructive/corrective surgery and has started her first semester at Cal State Fullerton. She's studying psychology to become a therapist for young adult cancer survivors, and said that currently things can't be going any better.

During treatment, Jessicca made it a point to help others by documenting her breast cancer journey on social media, in the hopes that the information might help someone who needs it. Read about her experience at facebook.com/jess.gonzo !

We hope things continue to go well for her, and are proud to call her our 2020 Frank the Tank Scholar! 

Meet Raechel!

Our 2019 Frank the Tank Scholar

Raechel Rix received her Leukemia diagnosis in the midst of college, six months after she got married. After getting sick with multiple ailments she Googled her symptoms, saw "blood cancer" on the screen and thought, "Well, I don't have that!" 

After four rounds of chemotherapy, which she completed in July of 2018, Raechel has a new perspective. She no longer worries about the small things, and believes her experience will help her be a more empathetic and relatable medical professional. In order to face her fears, she completed a phlebotomy certification course and now considers herself "cured" of the needle phobia she dealt with most of her life. In her spare time she volunteers for "School on Wheels," an organization that provides supplies and services to homeless/transient youth. We admire her strength and compassion, and are proud to call her our 2019 Frank the Tank Scholar!

Meet Lauren!

Our 2018 Frank the Tank Scholar

Lauren Aslanian was diagnosed with Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma when she was 15. Her cancer was so aggressive that her doctors placed her in a clinical trial that ultimately saved her life, and will hopefully save many other people in the future. Her cancer also acted as a magnet that pulled distant relatives together, clinging to one another for support and strengthening their bonds to this day. Lauren knows how hard it is to be a teen cooped up in a hospital, and with the help of staff and other patients, created a network of support at CHOC, where she was treated, that has since developed into the hospital’s Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program. Lauren took something awful, a cancer diagnosis, and used it to benefit the people around her. Today she is cancer-free, studying Health Sciences and exploring a future in nursing!

Meet Chris!

Our 2017 Frank the Tank Scholar

Chris Ley has battled cancer and its effects since he was born. At age one, he was diagnosed with juvenile Mylomonocytic Leukemia, which damaged his heart and thyroid. Cancer interrupted his life again in 2015, this time by a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor. Chris refused to let cancer derail his focus and not only maintained his studies and played hockey, but became an Eagle Scout in the same year! 

Chris is currently studying computer science, with the objective of entering the world of video game design or cyber warfare. We are so proud to know Chris and be a small part of making his college experience a thriving success!