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Makayla Hall and Peyton Arthur have one of those enviable friendships. The type of connection where no matter how much time has passed since they last spoke, they pick up right where they left off. They share so much in common: They are both in their early teens, they both have unwavering faith and they both know what it’s like to fight cancer at a very young age. Both girls were diagnosed with the same form of leukemia just months apart in 2023 and met while undergoing chemotherapy at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR), a pediatric cancer care partner in affiliation with VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Their first encounter wasn’t by accident. One of the acute care nurses at CHoR noticed the similarity in their stories, diagnoses and personalities and worked with other nurses and the girls’ parents to arrange a meeting. They have been best friends ever since.

During the girls’ aggressive treatment, which can last two and a half years, Makayla’s mom Sarah says, “They see each other on their worst days and speak encouragement to each other.”

Peyton’s mom Krizma agrees, “The minute they reunite, the infectious laughter and smiles just fill the room with such positivity. I feel that God placed these two together because he knew exactly what they needed.”

Makayla

Makayla, now 14, got her devastating diagnosis of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia on June 29, 2023. Also known as leukemia B, it’s a type of blood cancer that affects B-cells, a specific type of white blood cell. She was referred to Massey and CHoR after experiencing bizarre aches and pains for months and began treatment the day after her diagnosis.

Peyton

Exactly three months to the day after Makayla, Peyton got her own diagnosis of leukemia B. It was September 29, which also happened to be her dad’s birthday. The disease was discovered after a trip to her pediatrician’s office revealed her hemoglobin level was dangerously low and she was sent to the emergency department at CHoR. A healthy hemoglobin level for a child her age is 13.5, a level of 7 is considered critical. Peyton’s hemoglobin level was 4.9. She was admitted to the hospital, her diagnosis confirmed and the planning for her treatment began.

Leaning on each other for strength

Krizma and Sarah said there wasn’t just one thing that helped their daughters cope during their treatment, but how all the things that gave them strength came together. For each, the girls’ faith, prayer and trust in the Lord provided comfort when they needed it. They also leaned on each other when no one else could relate to what they were going through. Makayla Hall and Peyton Arthur (Contributed photo).

Krizma said, “To watch them interact and see firsthand how having the ability to have someone who ‘really gets it’ and understands what one another is feeling, whether it be from the physical side effects of treatment or just emotions that unless you’re in their shoes ‘we’ just cannot relate, brings so much comfort.” 

Sarah agrees. She added, “They say no one understands this process like someone who is walking through it. They can relate to each other but in a way that builds them up and makes them stronger.”

Makayla and Peyton have a team of providers guiding them through their journey. Clinical coordinator Gabby Saunders, R.N., lit up at the mention of their names.

“I feel like we fight over them when they come here, like who is going to take care of them,” Saunders said. “Together they are absolutely hilarious and they always play pranks on a lot of the providers. They are so funny!”

Saunders wears bracelets from each of the girls on her VCU Health ID badge and readily admits she is in awe of their strength.

“Cancer shouldn’t be traditional for any patient, especially for any pediatric patient,” Saunders said. “But they have definitely had some bumps in the road with their treatment and the two of them are just so resilient, so resilient to be so young.”

While they both found comfort in each other and every member of their care team, both girls formed special bonds with specific nurses taking care of them. Makayla’s mom said that Kelsey Clark, R.N., stands out to them.

“[Kelsey] would get excited and greet us like we’ve known her our whole life,” Sarah said. “She has this amazing personality that melts Makayla’s anxiety away. I am forever grateful to her for making that extra effort to bond with Makayla and our family.”

But Makayla’s family had just as much impact on their nurse.

“I took care of her almost every week of her treatment through the most intense portions. I could almost anticipate her needs before I even walked in the room,” Clark said. “There’s a comfort in knowing your patient that well – how she prefers her lab draws with her port, what makes her nauseous, what’s going on in her home life. Makayla and I definitely have a strong bond and it's honestly why I got into nursing in the first place.”

Clark added, “No one will ever understand what she's gone through and how it made her feel, but I walked with her through it and I honestly have learned so much from her.  It’s made me a better nurse.”

Krizma is just as grateful for the doctors and nurses who treated Peyton.

“[There are] so many exceptional team members that we have encountered who have helped make this journey a lot easier from outstanding care partners to nurses and doctors,” Krizma said.

She specifically singled out Tom Brunner, FNP-BC.

“From our first encounter with Tom we have never once felt rushed, and we can guarantee a good laugh or smile even during some of the worst situations,” Krizma said.

But for Brunner, just being around patients like Peyton brings him joy.

“I feel like you really do develop friendships and relationships with these kids,” Brunner said. “I love seeing her in clinic, and will definitely try to go out of my way if I'm not the one seeing her that day in clinic, just to stop in and say ‘hi.’ And you know, I try to be a positive presence in her clinic day, but she's definitely a positive presence in my clinic day as well.”

What’s next for Peyton and Makayla?

Peyton has at least one more surgery in her future. She will be undergoing a total hip replacement after her leukemia treatment caused damage to her bones, which can be a common, yet painful, side effect. She is also looking forward to being in her favorite couple’s wedding in September. Her mom couldn’t be prouder of how her daughter has handled her diagnosis.

Makayla Hall and Peyton Arthur (Contributed photo). “She embodies discipline, strength, grit, confidence and ambition while never wavering her faith,” Krizma said. “Having a powerful mind like hers, she has been able to and will continue to achieve anything that she puts her mind to.”

For Makayla, her leukemia is in remission and she went on her Make-a-Wish trip to Hawaii in May. She also discovered her entrepreneurial spirit during her treatment and started a bracelet business on Instagram. Makayla’s mom is so proud of how her daughter has weathered this storm.

 “Makayla was forced to grow up quickly with such a traumatic diagnosis. She has been scared but repeated ‘I do hard things well,’” said Sarah. “She has cried and prayed, then picked herself up and gotten stronger. She cares so deeply for my feelings more than her own. She tried to carry me when I felt weak. I’m so impressed by her heart and her maturity.”

The three nurses who have been there for the girls’ treatment can’t say enough nice things about their inspiring young patients.

“Everyone knows Peyton and Makayla. They are almost celebrities in clinic," Clark said. ”I think something like this bonds people and I have a feeling their friendship will last long after their treatment is finished.”

Brunner agreed, sharing, “I think this has been a growth experience and something that will help shape them. I don't want to call it a positive, because it's definitely not a positive, but I do think that this will help shape them into amazingly strong women with a different perspective on life and adversity going forward.”

Saunders added, “This really unfortunate diagnosis brought a little bit of glimmer of light into the darkness. I’m very happy they found one another, and they can lean on one another, and their parents can lean on one another through this journey. I’m just like a snippet of their journey, but I am happy to go through this journey with them.”

Learn more about how Massey collaborates with CHoR to treat the whole child, not just the disease, after a childhood cancer diagnosis.

This article was repurposed from an article originally published by Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.

Written by: Misti Davidson