Tia Bee Stokes was just 16 years old when she donated blood for the first time, but she had no idea that the routine act of generosity would leave her with a warning that would follow her into adulthood. Months later, a packet arrived in the mail from the American Red Cross.
“I’m opening this packet of paperwork, and it basically said that my Western blot was positive,” Stokes told Newsweek. “It literally said that in 10 to 15 years, I would have leukemia—blood cancer. I was scared. I was 16 years old.”
The Western blot test meant that Stokes could no longer give blood, and the warning about her future left her shaken.
Dr. Daniel Landau, a board-certified oncologist and hematologist, told Newsweek: “In a Western blot test, blood is placed in a gel, and the proteins of the blood migrate to different areas based on their weight. Depending on where proteins migrate to, it can help tell if someone might have a chronic viral disease (like HIV) or if there are proteins that appear to be cancerous.”
He explained that the test itself cannot guarantee an outcome but can be a sign of future illness.
“A positive Western blot does not guarantee that someone either has or will have cancer, but it can send up a red flag about potential future problems,” Landau explained.
But fate kept its word, and in 2020 at age 34, Stokes—now a mother of five—was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a rare and aggressive blood cancer.
A Diagnosis During Lockdown
It was after the birth of her fifth child that Stokes began feeling unwell. When she experienced flu-like symptoms, unexplained weight loss, persistent coughing, night sweats, and random bruising, her doctor ordered blood work, but even then, she had no reason to suspect the worst.
“That night, he had actually sent my blood work to an oncologist just to kind of get a double check,” Stokes said. “When I went in the next day, we pulled up in the parking lot because it was COVID. We pull up in the parking lot, stay there, he comes out to the car.”
The news was devastating. “He goes, ‘I sent your blood work to an oncologist last night, and it looks like it could be leukemia. Your blood smears look really bad,’” Stokes recalled.
Leukemia, a disease of the blood and bone marrow, disrupts the body’s ability to produce normal blood cells. According to the American Cancer Society, AML is particularly aggressive, with survival rates varying depending on age and other factors.
“I’d just had my fifth baby, it was COVID, the day I found out,” Stokes said. “And you know, anything about acute myeloid leukemia—if you were to Google it, the first thing that comes up is ‘deadly.’”
Fighting Against the Odds
Overnight, Stokes’ life changed as doctors ordered her to go straight into treatment.
“My doctor was very honest with my husband and just said, ‘Just prepare for the worst. You know, I don’t know if she’ll make it through the weekend. If, when you drop her off, just prepare yourself that she might not come home,’” she said.
Stokes spent 31 days alone in the hospital, undergoing grueling chemotherapy. The treatment took its toll—she suffered from seizures and severe reactions. But instead of crumbling, she turned to an unusual source of comfort—TikTok.
“I started dancing on TikTok and sharing my story,” she said. “For me, it was just an opportunity to be able to show hope.”
Her videos, filled with upbeat music and candid moments of her journey, resonated with thousands. Even in the midst of suffering, she found a way to bring joy to others.
“I felt like it was such an opportunity to be able to show that there’s still hope. [There is] still so much life to be had, regardless of our situations. Whether it’s doing a silly little dance on TikTok, trying to share with people that there’s still hope and light and things to be grateful for in life,” Stokes said.
Her message resonated, and videos of her 15-minute daily dances earned Stokes millions of followers across TikTok and Instagram.
Looking to the Future
Thanks to a combination of cancer treatments and a bone marrow transplant from her brother, Stokes, now 39, is on the brink of a remarkable milestone.
“With AML, with acute myeloid leukemia, you’re not considered a survivor or cured or cancer-free all the way until you hit five years,” she said. “So at the end of this year, I’ll hit five years, and I’m really excited about that because the fight has been hard, but so worth it.”
Despite struggling with graft-versus-host disease, which occurs in bone marrow transplant recipients when the new cells attack the body, for Stokes, every day is a gift.
“I just feel really grateful because today, I get to be a mom to five beautiful kids,” she said. “I get to watch my kids achieve their dreams and all of their goals that they want to achieve.”
Through it all, she continues to share her journey online, offering a beacon of hope to others facing their own battles.
“I mean, you’ve seen me go through every wave of this journey. And I do it because I want to keep showing up for people—to give that hope. And even for myself,” Stokes said.
The post Mom’s Blood Test as Teen Had ‘Deadly’ Prediction. Then at 34 It Came True appeared first on Newsweek.
