By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
A Fort Hays State University student is starting her third battle with cancer.
Sophia Linenberger was only 15 when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bone cancer, Ewing's Sarcoma.
She went through lengthy treatments of radiation and chemotherapy and twice went into remission.
But Sophia, who was about to enter her sophomore year at FHSU after being almost two years in remission, developed a bump on the side of her head.
A scan on July 20 revealed a tumor on her skull. She recently underwent surgery to remove a portion of the tumor but will have to undergo another year of chemo and radiation to reduce the size of the remaining tumor.
Sophia said she woke up the next day and thought the diagnosis had been a bad dream until she saw the place on her arm for her IV for the scan.
"It was a shock," Sophia said. "I thought it might be something else. I was pretty shocked because I was doing really good. I have been exercising more, and my legs have been getting better. I have been doing a lot more normal stuff. All of a sudden, I noticed the swelling on my head.
"I just didn't know it was going to come back. I thought for sure I was going to be past that stage."
Both Sophia and her mother, Jenny, said they were concerned about the location of this new tumor. A test of the tumor revealed that it was Ewing's Sarcoma, which is a reoccurrence of her bone cancer.
The tumor is not in her brain but a part of her skull.
However, Sophia's radiation treatments will still be targeted at her head.
"It's kind of scary being in my head rather than my back," Sophia said. "I know everything happens for a reason. I know God has a plan for me. All I can do is pray. I am thankful for everybody's prayers and support, and I know it will get me through this time around just like it did through the other two rounds."
A full body scan determined Sophia had no cancer in any other part of her body.
She said prayers, calls and messages on social media have been very important to their family and Sophia through their ordeal.
"I know God's got a reason for everything, and I trust his plan for me," Sophia said. "I know He'll get me through it again. I have to go through it a third time, but may it's going to help someone else—my story."
"It helps Sophie more than people know," Jenny said of the messages and prayers. "I thank them all."
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Jenny said the family has yet to recover financially from Sophia and Stan's cancer treatments.
Sophia is at home in Hays recovering from her surgery before she is set to resume treatment at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.
"She has 29 staples in her head, but she is recovering pretty well," Jenny said. "We have our moments of up and down. It's a hard thing to have to go through again."
Sophia, who is an art major at FHSU, said she is unsure if she will be able to continue her studies at this time because of her treatments.
"It's been pretty hard," Jenny said. "I know I have to be strong for her. I pray all of the time that I get a Band-aid sent down to me, and it's a permanent Band-aid that takes it away.
"As moms, we're supposed to be able to help the pain go away or the hurt go away, but I can't. I have been praying for that Band-aid since she was 15. She's 19. I'll continue to pray for that permanent Band-aid that won't come off, and it takes that cancer away."