2009 Shining Star - Andrea Martin

Each year the Executive Committee of the Starlight Gala picks a very special person to honor as our Shining Star.  We are pleased to announce Andrea Martin as our 2009 Shining Star. 

Andrea is a 28 year old cancer survivor who was diagnosed for the first time in 2005.  She is a 2002 graduate of Texas Christian University and was working as an Account Executive for a mortgage company when she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) around Thanksgiving in 2005.  AML is a cancer that starts in cells that would normally develop into different types of blood cells.  It starts in the bone marrow, but in most cases it quickly moves into the blood and can sometimes spread to lymph nodes, the liver, spleen, or the central nervous system.  After courageously battling her cancer and going into remission, Andrea married her fiancé, John in the summer of 2007 and enjoyed a wonderful honeymoon.  She even began to write a book in August of 2007 so that she could spread the word about how God had helped her through her treatment.

Unfortunately, the honeymoon didn’t last long as Andrea was notified that her cancer had relapsed in October 2007.  She had AML in the corpus callosum of the brain which connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain.  After much radiation and two bone marrow transplants at MD Anderson, the latter taking place in March 2008, Andrea is once again in remission.  However, she is dealing with side effects from the chemotherapy in the cerebellum of the brain, including a nerve disruption in her face and throat which causes her to cough and/or choke when eating and drinking.  She currently is in the hospital and has a feeding tube in her stomach and is undergoing dialysis for her kidneys.  The doctors say that there are some neurological improvements and Andrea may be able to go home soon.

Andrea is a hero for us all.  Through the ups and downs of her treatments and her latest battle with side effects, she continues to wear a smile on her face.  She has spoken at a women’s church retreat and at a Bible class about the power and miracles of God and positive thinking when dealing with such a big battle.  She feels blessed to have her husband, parents, in-laws and other family and friends to support her and guide her through tough times and to help her enjoy life.  She especially enjoys the companionship of her little dog, Zeus, who keeps her amused and living life in the moment.  Her family says that it is Andrea who keeps them smiling and enjoying life.  Andrea is a shining example for us all!