Ten years after ringing the end-of-treatment bell at a Salt Lake City hospital, Gracie Litz spent this fall doing something she once couldn't have imagined: anchoring the back line for a state champion soccer team. The Ogden High senior helped her team beat Manti 2-1 on Oct. 24 to claim the 3A state championship, then marked a decade cancer-free on Oct. 27. “Best week of my life, I guess,” she said.
Litz was diagnosed with Stage 4 lymphoblastic lymphoma, a cancer of the white blood cells, at age 5, according to KSL. She underwent two-and-a-half years of chemotherapy and was homeschooled for two years during treatment because her weakened condition made a regular classroom too risky. On Oct. 27, 2016, she rang the bell at Primary Children’s Hospital, signaling the end of treatment. She has not relapsed in the 10 years since.
Now 17, Litz has said the illness often left her feeling unwell and unable to keep up with her siblings. Her family sees the decade off treatment as a particularly meaningful milestone: her mother, Brittany Litz, considers that point to be when a person is cured.
A Mother's Decade of Watching and Worrying
In KSL’s account, Brittany Litz described years of worrying that a fever, a lump or another symptom might mean the cancer had returned. That fear has eased with time. “It's kind of euphoric,” she said of reaching the 10-year mark, as her daughter moves into ordinary teenage milestones, including applying to colleges. Brittany also recalled that Gracie smiled when she stepped onto the soccer field, even during treatment.
KSL notes that five years without recurrence is considered a major milestone for cancer survivors generally. A retrospective study published by PubMed Central reported strong five-year survival outcomes for some pediatric lymphoblastic lymphoma patients treated with acute lymphoblastic leukemia regimens. The finding applies to that study population, not to an individual patient’s prognosis.
The broader childhood-cancer outlook
According to the National Cancer Institute, the overall outlook for children and adolescents with cancer has improved greatly over the last half-century. That broad trend provides context for Litz’s milestone, but it is not a statistic specific to her cancer and does not predict any individual patient’s outcome.
Center Back and Captain on a Championship Run
Litz was captain and played center back for Ogden High’s girls soccer team. KSL reported that she described soccer as a source of joy, fulfillment and close friendships throughout high school. The Ogden squad beat Manti 2-1 on Oct. 24 to capture the 3A state championship, the program’s third title in the last four years, according to KSL.com.
The Standard-Examiner described the win as a walkoff victory that secured Ogden’s second consecutive crown, with Elle Weston scoring the deciding goal from 25 yards out at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman. The outlet also reported that Ogden has nine all-time girls soccer state titles dating back to 2002. The Deseret News noted that Ogden had won the previous season’s crown and reached this year’s final after an 8-0 quarterfinal win over Union.
The championship ended Litz’s final high school soccer season on a high note. For her family, the decade since treatment ended also marks a milestone in her recovery.
