{"id":14611,"date":"2018-02-16T10:26:08","date_gmt":"2018-02-16T17:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=14611"},"modified":"2020-07-21T10:48:18","modified_gmt":"2020-07-21T16:48:18","slug":"teen-cancer-survivor-dances-into-her-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/teen-cancer-survivor-dances-into-her-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Teen cancer survivor dances into her future"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

In an ad that made her famous around the world when it debuted a year ago, Peyton Linafelter does a little dance that instantly captures her spirit.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s young. She\u2019s irrepressibly sweet and funny. And she loves life.<\/p>\n

Peyton was diagnosed on her 16th<\/sup> birthday with ovarian cancer, a disease that typically strikes women in their 60s. Her doctor believes she\u2019s the youngest in the U.S. ever to have gotten her type of cancer. Her chances of survival once were as low as 17 percent.<\/p>\n

\"Peyton
Peyton’s cancer is in remission and now she’s eager to travel the world as a model. Photo by Irvin Rivera, courtesy of NEXT Management and Tera Gharrity.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Peyton, now 17, shrugs off all the scary stuff. Her cancer is in remission and she\u2019s dancing into the rest of her life.<\/p>\n

From teen cancer to modeling<\/h2>\n

This month,\u00a0Peyton moved on her own to Los Angeles to launch her modeling career with the NEXT agency<\/a>. Peyton danced as she finished her 28th<\/sup> chemotherapy treatment, her last for now.<\/p>\n

\"Peyton
Peyton learned she had Stage IV ovarian cancer on her 16th birthday. Photo courtesy of Tera Gharrity.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And she recently did a little dance as an extra in the Hollywood film, Life in a Year<\/em><\/a>,<\/em> with Cara Delevingne and Jaden Smith. The movie about a teen with cancer is due out later this year.<\/p>\n

Delevingne was researching cancer in teens when she found Peyton\u2019s UCHealth commercial, which has attracted nearly 400,000 views on YouTube, along with multiple interviews and stories about Peyton that have been shared around the world. The two connected. Peyton shared her insights on being diagnosed with cancer so young and Delevingne and Smith invited Peyton to come to Toronto for the filming and to appear as an extra in a scene in an ice cream shop. Peyton worked directly with director, Russell Pinkett, to ensure the actions, emotions, and dialogue were as accurate as possible.\u00a0 She has since bonded with Smith, and hopes to walk the red carpet with Smith and Delevingne when the movie debuts in L.A.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the opening of a new chapter of my life,\u201d Peyton said.<\/p>\n

\"Payton
Peyton has moved to Los Angeles to launch her modeling career with the NEXT agency. Photo courtesy of Tera Gharrity.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The fearless young survivor has a way of dancing into people\u2019s hearts.<\/p>\n

“Peyton has approached her cancer diagnosis with a strength and maturity of a woman three times her age,\u201d said her doctor, UCHealth\u2019s Saketh Guntupalli<\/a>. \u201cShe has been an inspiration to me and to all who have taken care of her.”<\/p>\n

\u2018We\u2019ve got this\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Peyton\u2019s health challenges began when she was a sophomore at Littleton High School. She was on a trip to Barbados with family friends over the holidays when she began feeling sick. A doctor there did an ultrasound, diagnosed her with abnormally large ovarian cysts, and said Peyton needed to see a gynecologist as soon as she returned to the U.S.<\/p>\n

Peyton\u2019s mom, Tera Gharrity, took her daughter to a Denver hospital where doctors confirmed the abnormally large ovarian cyst diagnosis, said that they wouldn\u2019t harm her and sent her home.<\/p>\n

\"Peyton
Peyton has moved to Los Angeles to launch her modeling career.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For months, Peyton felt lousy, barely able to eat, as her stomach starting bulging like she was 5 months pregnant. The family tried both traditional and alternative treatments, but Peyton felt worse and worse.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was losing weight. I couldn\u2019t make it through an entire school day because I was in so much pain,\u201d Peyton said.<\/p>\n

Finally, in April, she almost blacked out while taking a shower. Her mother contacted Children\u2019s Hospital Colorado<\/a> and they told her to bring Peyton in immediately. On Peyton\u2019s 16th<\/sup> birthday, doctors at Children\u2019s in Aurora properly diagnosed Peyton with ovarian cancer. They had never seen it in a teen. They told Tera they could treat Peyton at Children\u2019s if she wanted to receive care alongside girls her age, but they recommended she go next door to UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital<\/a> where one of the region\u2019s best doctors for gynecological cancers, Dr. Guntupalli<\/a>, could treat her.<\/p>\n

Guntupalli, who is also an assistant professor of gynecologic oncology<\/a> at the University of Colorado School of Medicine<\/a>,\u00a0had a long waiting list. But he cleared his schedule to see Peyton.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first time I heard I had cancer, I was in complete disbelief. My last thought was that I had cancer, let alone Stage IV,\u201d Peyton said.<\/p>\n

\"Peyton
Peyton poses with an ad she did for UCHealth. Photo courtesy of Tera Gharrity.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Her cancer already had spread from her ovaries to her lungs and abdominal cavity.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was everywhere,\u201d Tera said.<\/p>\n

But Guntupalli put both mother and daughter at ease.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to be OK,\u201d he told Peyton. \u201cWe\u2019ve got this under control. We\u2019re going to get past this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peyton said Guntupalli\u2019s experience and confidence reassured her.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe explained everything. Knowing that my doctor knew what he was doing and had this handled made me feel positive,\u201d Peyton said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never asked myself, \u2018why me?\u2019 I figured, \u2018we\u2019ve got this. I\u2019m going to get through this. I\u2019m going to beat this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

‘A much bigger purpose’<\/h2>\n

Tera wasn\u2019t surprised by Peyton\u2019s upbeat attitude. She\u2019d always been a funny, happy kid. Tera remembers back when Peyton was 8 and her grandfather, a competitive bowler, kept trying to beat Peyton in bowling on the Wii. She kept racking up the wins while barely making an effort.<\/p>\n

\"Peyton
Petyon is proudly showing her scar in modeling shoots. Photo courtesy of NEXT Management and Tera Gharrity.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Finally, her granddad got a spare. He was dancing and bragging, \u201cI got a spare.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. A spare tire,\u201d Peyton responded, without missing a beat.<\/p>\n

Peyton started getting chemotherapy treatments immediately. Her lowest point came during the summer of 2016 when a bowel obstruction forced her to stay in the hospital for six weeks. Unable to eat and miserably bored, Peyton binged on episodes of Grey\u2019s Anatomy<\/em> and befriended nurses, who popped in to critique inaccuracies and silly plot twists in the hospital drama.<\/p>\n

When it was finally safe enough to have surgery, Dr. Guntupalli did a full hysterectomy, removed Peyton\u2019s spleen and all of her abdominal lymph nodes. To remove the bowel obstruction, he also had to resect eight inches of her colon and sew it back together. Because every major organ showed signs of cancerous growth, removing all traces of it was a long and tedious process.\u00a0 After an eight hour surgery, Guntupalli deemed the surgery a success and decided he could close Peyton back up.\u00a0 She then spent 2 \u00bd days in the ICU to recuperate, then went back to the oncology floor for another two weeks before being released.<\/p>\n

Inspired by her doctor, nurses and physician assistant, Peyton plans to pursue a career in health care. First, however, she hopes to travel the world as a model.<\/p>\n

\"Peyton
Peyton on the set for Year in the Life with Cara Delevingne and Jaden Smith. Photo courtesy of Tera Gharrity.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A modeling scout spotted Peyton during a Taylor Swift concert when she was 15. For years, Peyton\u2019s parents had turned away scouts. This time, Peyton wanted to give it a shot. Cancer treatments interfered for a time. But now, with her GED under her belt and her parents\u2019 blessing, Peyton\u2019s eager to live on her own and focus on modeling. She\u2019s living in an apartment near Beverly Hills and learning the basics first, like how to walk a runway in high heels.<\/p>\n

One of Peyton\u2019s goals is to become a Victoria\u2019s Secret model. \u201cIt\u2019s so important to re-define perfection and make people understand that scars are beautiful,\u201d Peyton said.<\/p>\n

On her Instagram feed, she has proudly shown off her large scar while wearing a bikini. The scar stretches from her breastbone to her pubic bone.<\/p>\n

Her excitement about modeling has only grown since she battled cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a much bigger purpose now,\u201d she said. \u201cMy agency has been great. They love my scar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Peyton
Peyton bonded with her caretakers during her long hospital stay. Photo courtesy of Tera Gharrity.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Instead of dropping Peyton after her illness, the agency is more interested in her, Tera said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey want her now more than ever because of her story and her heart,\u201d Tera said.<\/p>\n

Touching people around the world<\/h2>\n

Peyton\u2019s spirit and her determination led her to become one of the faces of UCHealth a year ago. When ad directors came to her with the idea of sharing her story, they talked about getting actors to play Peyton and her mom.<\/p>\n

Peyton spoke up right away.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d she said. \u201cI would actually love to be the one in the commercial. It\u2019s my story. I think it would be powerful if you used real people.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ad directors took their cue from Peyton and she and her mom spent two days filming. Tera does the voiceover, telling the story of \u201cwhat\u2019s normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two said they most enjoyed laughing and giggling during the filming. But Tera had been holding her emotions at bay for well over a year as Peyton was so busy getting treatments and getting better. When she paused to think about the gravity of having her only daughter get such a deadly cancer at 16, she broke down and sobbed.<\/p>\n

The poignancy of the ad instantly touched people when it debuted during last year\u2019s Academy Awards.<\/p>\n

Peyton started hearing from people around the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople were crying and saying it made them so emotional,\u201d she said. \u201cI had no idea what a huge impact it would have.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ad made her feel strong and powerful. It gave her a voice. Now she\u2019s determined to heighten awareness for female cancers and encourage people to see a doctor if they don\u2019t feel well.<\/p>\n

‘I would choose cancer’<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Peyton grew up living in Colorado, South Dakota and Massachusetts in neighborhoods where she could always roam outside. Her idea of fun is getting muddy, not \u201call glammed up.\u201d But she loves traveling and hopes her modeling career will take her all around the world.<\/p>\n

\"Peyton
Peyton is eager to show her scar. She wants the world to know that imperfections are beautiful. Photo courtesy of Tera Gharrity.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Despite all the pain she endured, Peyton said that if she had a magic wand, she would never erase the cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would definitely choose the illness. Cancer has brought really great things into my life. I\u2019m thankful for my cancer. I\u2019ve met the most amazing people. I\u2019ve had amazing experiences. It\u2019s made me who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s allowed the world to get to know a girl who\u2019s always in the mood to dance.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In an ad that made her famous around the world when it debuted a year ago, Peyton Linafelter does a little dance that instantly captures her spirit. She\u2019s young. She\u2019s irrepressibly sweet and funny. And she loves life. Peyton was diagnosed on her 16th birthday with ovarian cancer, a disease that typically strikes women in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2123,"featured_media":14624,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[28,1497,212],"class_list":["post-14611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-cancer-care-oncology","tag-uchealth-university-of-colorado-hospital","tag-womens-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTeen cancer survivor dances into her future - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Doctors believe Peyton Linafelter is the youngest in the world to get ovarian cancer. 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