Cancer survivor aspires to become a doctor

First published by 7 News on Tuesday 11 July 2017. 

 

Taylah Miranda-Rees was diagnosed with leukaemia when she was just 14 years-old. Now at 18, Taylah wants to become a doctor to work alongside the medical staff who saved her life.

Taylah was first taken to hospital in 2014 after she was experiencing extreme exhaustion and a blood test revealed she had elevated white blood cells.

After being diagnosed with leukaemia and spending most of her time with her medical team, Taylah formed a close bond with the doctors at Monash Children’s Hospital.

“The day we met, she told us she wanted to become a lawyer. I told her on that day, that will change and she will want to do medicine, and she did,” said Dr Sara Khan, Taylah’s doctor.

Taylah said her friendship with Dr Khan was cemented when she voiced concern that she was too sick to make it to a One Direction concert.

“Two days before I was having chemo, I was throwing up and it was looking pretty bad,” she said.

“But she (Dr Khan) came over to me and held my hand and she said we’re going to get you there, it’s going to happen.”

Taylah made it to the concert and Dr Khan said she knew how much it meant to the teenager.

“We have a really close bond and I knew she really wanted to go, so we made it happen,” she said.

Taylah was given the all-clear at Christmas and comes back to Monash Children’s Hospital each month for a checkup.

“Knowing what she has been through, I know she will make a very compassionate and brilliant paediatric oncologist,” said Dr Khan.