A lymphoma diagnosis, a difficult treatment — and then a beautiful wedding

Mara Aguirre worried about the small lump she found on her neck, but a blood test revealed nothing abnormal. It was probably swollen lymph nodes, her doctor told her, or maybe allergies.

When the lump grew a little bigger, Aguirre returned for another blood test. Again, no red flags.

A few months later, in the summer of 2023, Aguirre experienced frequent flu-like symptoms. This time, her doctor ordered a CT scan of her neck and chest. A biopsy of her lymph nodes followed, confirming her worst fears: she had Stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer in the lymphatic system that’s more common among young adults. The cancer was in the lymph nodes of her left armpit and behind her sternum.

“It was devastating,” said Aguirre, who was 28 at the time and had gotten engaged only a few weeks prior. “After the diagnosis, the process started moving really, really fast.”

Comprehensive care for young adult cancer patients

Aguirre, a Chicago resident, researched the best hospital for lymphoma treatment. She chose the University of Chicago Medicine for its expertise and multidisciplinary support team.

In addition to doctors and nurses treating her cancer, she would also have:

• A psychologist who specializes in anxiety, depression and PTSD;
• A massage therapist to help with tingling hands and feet from chemotherapy;
• A physical therapist to help with any pain issues;
• A program administrator to connect her with support groups, fertility preservation resources and more;
• A nurse navigator to help coordinate doctor and testing appointments;
• A pharmacist to discuss her medications.

After meeting with UChicago Medicine oncologists Adam DuVall, MD, MPH and Austin Wesevich, MD, MPH, MS, from the hospital’s Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Oncology Program, Aguirre signed up for a clinical trial that studies whether lymphoma can be treated with less chemotherapy.

Her treatment would involve six weeks of chemotherapy, about half of what she’d normally have, followed by four months of immunotherapy and targeted therapy.

Fertility preservation before cancer treatment

Before her treatment began, Aguirre opted to do fertility preservation. Since chemotherapy can damage reproductive function, Aguirre immediately began an intense, three-week process of hormone injections, egg retrieval and egg banking.

She described the process as “difficult,” but it yielded 13 viable eggs — a higher-than-average number — which are now safely stored. While it’s possible she and her husband, Ever, could still conceive a child naturally, the eggs will be available if she needs them.

“I didn’t know where cancer was going to take me, so I wanted to be cautious,” she said. “Having that option before starting cancer treatment was a blessing to me.”

With cancer rates rising among young people, hospitals are seeing increased requests for fertility preservation. Fertility-preserving procedures for male and female patients, including teenagers and pre-pubescent girls, are offered at UChicago Medicine’s Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Fertility Preservation Program.

“Thanks to our enhanced capacity and advancements in reproductive technology, we can now serve more patients at these critical times in their cancer journeys,” said Lindsay Schwartz, MD, MS, who leads the program.

UChicago Medicine is unique because it offers fertility preservation to its cancer patients at no cost, regardless of their economic status, thanks to two charities that support the program.

“No other hospital has this kind of philanthropic support,” DuVall said.

Care team and resources guide cancer journey

Aguirre is no stranger to hardship. When she was 12, her parents were killed by a drunk driver on their way home from church. And since 2022, she has worked as an emergency room nurse in UChicago Medicine’s busy Level 1 Trauma Center, where she helps others heal from sickness and injury.

Battling cancer would be her next big challenge. In January 2024, she started “a horrible eight months” of treatment, which included a severe allergic reaction to one of her medications, recurring yeast infections, and developing Type 2 diabetes and autoimmune thyroid issues.

Still, she persevered. Aguirre joined cancer support groups and a painting class that helped her deal with some of the emotional trauma that is common in young people with cancer.

Aguirre said she loved every single person on her UChicago Medicine care team, and they cheered her on during treatment. She was in awe of how they all worked together seamlessly. Wesevich and DuVall – who specialize in hematology and oncology, with a primary focus on adolescents and young adults with leukemia and lymphoma – handled Aguirre’s week-to-week challenges.

“I was calling them at all hours and all days, and they always responded quickly,” she said. “I don’t think I would have gotten that level of care anywhere else. I felt a connection with my doctors and my team.”

Dream wedding for cancer patient, award for Wesevich

During her cancer treatment, Aguirre didn’t want to discuss her future wedding, even though her fiancé and family members were anxious to start the planning.

“I was so consumed by sadness, I just wanted to put it on pause,” she said.

She found a charity called Wish Upon a Wedding that hosts nuptials for people facing terminal or life-threatening illnesses, but she didn’t feel deserving of such a gift. Her brother, Elder, convinced her to apply.

After an interview process, she was granted her wish: a 48-person wedding on July 15, 2024, at Café Brauer. The fancy venue is next to Lincoln Park Zoo, a place her parents frequently took her as a child.

“That zoo reminds me of my parents. I knew they were there in spirit that day,” Aguirre said, choking back tears. “It was my dream wedding.”

Aguirre nominated UChicago Medicine’s AYA team for the charity’s Shining Star Award, which they won. Wesevich, DuVall and several nurses joined her at the January 2025 awards gala.

During his acceptance speech on behalf of the team, Wesevich teared up talking about Aguirre, who is now in remission.

“Mara’s very special,” he said. “In our clinic, we try to uplift the human condition in the midst of what feels entirely unjust.”

‘Keep listening to your body’

Looking back, Aguirre said she’s glad she persistently followed up with her doctor and shudders to think what might have happened had she brushed off her symptoms.

“As a young person, you just want to live your life,” she said. “It’s so easy to ignore it. Don’t ignore it. Keep listening to your body.”

She also offered advice to anyone who’s recently received a cancer diagnosis.

“Continue to advocate for yourself. And once treatment starts, make sure the people around you advocate for you,” she said. “UChicago Medicine did that for me.”