Patient at The Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders Fort Worth-Central Campus

    While most high school seniors look forward to graduation, one 17-year-old Midlothian High School teen looks forward to beating cancer in 2012. 

    Chelsie Watts, a patient of Dr. Henry Xiong, has

Chelsie Watts and her parents

had anything but a routine senior year. She was diagnosed with appendiceal adenocarcinoma in August 2011, after being admitted to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. While in surgery, doctors found a tumor on her appendix. After additional exploratory surgery, doctors found that the cancer had spread.

   Chelsie is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment at The Center and is scheduled to have cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion (HIPEC) in March.

   While Chelsie's diagnosis is rare for someone her age, she maintains a positive outlook and doesn't let it hold her back from any of her usual high school activities. In fact, Chelsie, a senior lieutenant on the drill team, was one of few drill team members selected to participate in the 2011 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. "It was awesome," says Chelsie.

   She was also crowned Homecoming Queen at her high school last fall and served as grand marshal of the town's Christmas Parade.

    "It's been a crazy year but I've had a lot of support," says Chelsie, who was recently accompanied to chemo treatment by her parents and four friends. "My faith in my Lord and support from family and friends is getting me through this."

    Chelsie says she's determined not to give up hope. She will graduate in June and plans to attend Stephen F. Austin University this fall. Her advice to others for keeping hope elevated is to "keep pushing through." 

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