Unexpected cancer battle provides answer for Rosecrans alum

ZANESVILLE — Allie Berry has an inquisitive nature.

One of her questions has been answered in an unusual way.

The 19-year-old was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer that forms in soft tissue, two months ago. The softball-sized tumor was found in her abdominal wall and had wrapped itself around the pancreas and liver.

The cancer, which is only one percent of all cancer diagnoses, is usually found near the eyes or ovaries or in bone marrow.

Her father, Bill, recalled doctors referring to his daughter as a unicorn due to her unique case, and her case will likely become a test study.

"I was doubting if there was any good left in the world, but I believe this is the reason this happened," Allie said about her cancer battle. "God has shown me there is still plenty of good in the world."

A Facebook page, Allie's Battle, was set up by Betsy Ritchie, a family friend, to detail Berry's journey.

A GoFundMe page, started by another friend, Kevin McCarty, has raised more than $33,000 of a $50,000 goal to assist the family's expenses.

Those efforts exemplify the support received by the family. Allie, who was working part time at Denny's before the diagnosis, has received weekly gifts at Denny's, including sunflowers from an anonymous person, and her chemistry professor visited the hospital and gave her a Periodic Table blanket.

Encouragement from so many has kept Allie upbeat. She has completed 10 of 67 weeks of chemotherapy, which she receives every Monday at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus.

"The GoFundMe has been big for us. It allows my mom (Jennifer) to stay with me during my chemo," Allie said. "We're very grateful for all the help."

Before the diagnosis, Allie was a typical college student. The 2021 Rosecrans graduate was studying biochemistry at Capital University. She had a 4.0 grade point average and was preparing for finals when the unexpected journey began.

Allie was attending her sorority's, Pi Phi Epsilon, formal when she had a terrible feeling in her stomach. It was a feeling that led to a lack of sleep, an inability to eat a lot of food and a weight loss of 12 pounds.

"It was finals week, and I was babysitting for three families to help pay for college so I tried to push through," Allie said. "I tried to eat lighter and better, but I remember one night crying to my roommate because I couldn't eat anything. I wasn't feeling well the night of the formal, and the feeling didn't go away."

She contacted her parents, and they urged her to go to the hospital. The family spent four hours waiting in the emergency room on April 21 before Allie was given a CAT scan.

"When I was told to lay flat for the CAT scan, I screamed in pain. It hurt laying down," Allie recalled.

The doctors thought it was a pseudocyst and were going to drain it, but the family opted for a second opinion.

During that visit, doctors discovered a mass in her abdomen and performed a biopsy. It led to six surgeries in a seven-hour span, which included removing an ovary, putting in a chest tube and port, and cutting into the tumor for further testing.

Bill remembered the surgeon coming in and sitting on the floor to discuss what was next.

"He was very sympathetic, and I knew it wasn't good," he said.

Allie stayed at Children's for four weeks before being released, but returned the next day due to an infection in her leg.

She also made another stay recently for blood clots, which have broken down through treatment.

Allie added doctors also discovered she has the PALB2 gene, which is associated with breast cancer, during a gene test. However, they don't believe it contributed to her current diagnosis, she noted.

"They asked if I was an alcoholic because my liver looked so bad, and it was tough not being able to go anywhere at the hospital," Allie said. "There was a sense of relief when I came home, but it was also scary. I was use to people watching me all the time."

Allie's parents and long-time boyfriend, Marcus Browning, have done their part to ease the burden. Browning spent the first two weeks at the hospital with Allie, and along with his father, Andy, mowed the family's yard during her initial stay.

"I've been trying to help keep her life as normal as possible," Marcus said. "We get together with friends, and we hung out at the family farm. We try to make the most of our time together."

Making the most of each moment is the focus for her parents, who have appreciated everyone rallying around them.

"Betsy has been very gracious, and there's so many people who have gone above and beyond," Bill said. "It sucks seeing your 19-year-old daughter going through this. She could feel wronged by what is going on, but she doesn't.

"I shared one of her prayers where she's thankful for everyone and asks God to watch over us," he added. "It shows her maturity and gratefulness. Her prayers and thoughts are positive, and it definitely has affected many people."

Jennifer also noted the importance of the Ronald McDonald House. It allows the family to stay near the hospital following checkups and treatments.

"The Ronald McDonald House lets us be near the hospital, while also being able to get outside and do things," Jennifer said. "The community, especially at Rosecrans, has been very helpful during this time. They've done a lot for our family, and we truly appreciate their support."

That assistance isn't the only reason Allie remains optimistic. She faced adversity throughout her high school basketball and soccer careers due to injuries. A torn ACL and a broken fibula with torn tendons were among the setbacks that kept her sidelined.

She also dealt with a torn labrum in her hip after a fall, which came one week after the avid runner ran the 1/2 Marathon for Children’s Hospital with her mother in October 2021.

Those moments provide perspective for Allie, who received positive news recently, as Capital will allow her to retain the Presidential Scholarship whenever she returns to school.

"I see little kids at the hospital who will never get to leave and won't recover,"A said. "It shows me it could be worse. I have a good chance to recover and to return to normal some time soon. It will be tough, but I'm grateful and thankful that it's even a possibility."

bhannahs@gannett.com

Twitter: @brandonhannahs

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Unexpected cancer battle provides answer for Rosecrans alum