11 year old speaks about her cancer fight

MOSES LAKE - Alexis Alaniz was 10 years old when she found out

she had cancer.

The Moses Lake resident spoke at the Columbia Basin Cancer

Foundation's "Country Sweethearts" event.

MOSES LAKE - Alexis Alaniz was 10 years old when she found out she had cancer.

The Moses Lake resident spoke at the Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation's "Country Sweethearts" event.

The annual fund-raiser was held Saturday in the 4-H building at the Grant County Fairgrounds.

The now-11-year-old girl told about 200 people she was diagnosed with leukemia after months of pain in her arm and leg.

"After several tests, scans and blood work, it was apparent that I had some sort of cancer," she said. "Going to Spokane for diagnosis and treatment was our next frightening step."

The girl and her mother, Adriana Lopez, went to Spokane so Alaniz could be treated at Sacred Heart Children's Hospital, where she spent a month in the hospital being treated. She left family, friends and school in Moses Lake.

"It's difficult to explain how chemo makes me feel," she said. "Just imagine having the flu and then times that feeling by 10. Chemo is a nasty substance that I never look forward to getting. At the same time, it is saving my life."

Alaniz is responding to the therapy, and is continuing to conquer the illness, she said, adding she was afraid of losing her hair and only had two weeks to prepare.

"I knew my hair was going to fall out. I just didn't know it would make me feel as bad as it did," she said. "Everyone around me was so positive about it and it made it easier for me to deal with. My mom even offered to shave her head in support. My dad did shave his head and I got to help shave it."

Both Lopez and Alaniz said the foundation helped a lot with support once they returned to Moses Lake.

Lopez said cancer doesn't run in her family, so they didn't have a lot of experience with the disease.

"We've lived in Moses Lake all of our lives and we didn't know anyone in Moses Lake who had cancer," she said. "You don't even realize it until you're in this situation that 'Wow there are people  going through the same thing that I am in my own town.' Especially something as big as cancer. It's life changing."

Dr. Michael Graham, the foundation's president, said the foundation's goal is to provide support to patients by supporting bus trips to Wenatchee, help with groceries and educate people about cancer. The event's goal is both fund-raising and raising awareness about the foundation.

"Everything we raise stays in the community," he said. "We do gas cards for people who need to travel to Seattle or Spokane or other cancer treatments. We help them with their food, with vouchers for the farmers' market in the summer, with massages. We run a support group that benefits families and people in treatment and survivors. We educate people about cancer with our newsletters and in local schools."