Adult Oncology Patient Now Works as a Nurse at Cincinnati Children’s
Adult Oncology Patient Now Works as a Nurse at Cincinnati Children’s
Madison Rylee knew she wanted to be a nurse since childhood, even before becoming a patient at Cincinnati Children’s.
At the age of 21, she was diagnosed with primary mediastinal large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a rare type of cancer. After treatment at Cincinnati Children’s Young Adult Cancer Center, Madison’s tumor shrunk away. Now, she inspires other cancer patients as a nurse in the hematology/oncology unit.
Madison underwent six rounds of chemotherapy, each round followed by a one-week hospital stay. Though treatment was mentally and physically challenging, she focused on appreciating the positive experiences.
“At first, I really felt sorry for myself. I was like, I’m 21, I’ve never smoked, I work out—why me?” Madison said, recalling the emotions she processed at the time. “Then one night I realized I could ask that question all I wanted to, but I’d never get an answer. I just had to stay positive and fight. That mentality really got me through.”
On the unit, Madison brings her positive outlook and encouraging spirit to support patients.
“Working on the unit is so inspiring, even though I was a patient myself,” said Madison. “We have our hard days, but it is also very rewarding that I can be a light in these patients' lives.”
Gradual Recovery
Upon Madison’s lymphoma diagnosis in 2016, she began treatment to eliminate a tumor, which was wrapped around her windpipe and lungs. Her primary cancer doctor Erin Breese, MD, PhD, helped Madison understand the process and offered answers to any questions she had.
A difficult moment that Madison faced was signing consent forms for chemotherapy; the other was when her hair began to fall out one week into treatment.
With the support of her family and care team, she didn't feel alone during the process.
"Everyone was so amazing—I could tell how much they cared about me,” Madison said. “They learned who I was as a person, and when good things happened, they would celebrate with me.”
After round six of chemotherapy, Madison’s tumor was gone. She began walking her dogs and working out again, she even ran a portion of the 2017 Turkey Trot with her sister MacKenzie.
Madison attended the Cancer Survivors Day Event at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in September 2022. Cincinnati Children’s sponsors the event each fall to celebrate the lives and accomplishments of our patients and their families.
A New Perspective
Now 27, Madison has graduated from The Christ College of Nursing and began working at Cincinnati Children’s in June.
She openly talks about her story to patients to connect with them and offer encouragement.
“It feels so good being able to help ease their minds and answer questions that they haven’t been able to really ask anyone else,” said Madison.
“It made me realize that I was exactly where I was meant to be with my nursing career.”
Madison is still a patient at Cincinnati Children’s. This past year, she has transferred to the Cancer Survivorship Center where she is seen by Ellen Chang, MD. To monitor her health, Madison has yearly checkups and receives an echocardiogram every other year.
Since treatment, Madison has continued to enjoy what she loves—walking her dog, reading, and running the full Turkey Trot with her sister.
As she reflects on her treatment throughout the years, Madison said time spent with her personal support system helped her the most through the difficult time.
“If I could go back in time to when I was first diagnosed, something I would tell myself is to not take things for granted, appreciate what you have, live in the moment, and enjoy the time you have with your friends and family,” she said.