Meet Emmanuel

At 15 years old, Emmanuel Cooper is facing the biggest battle of his life – a fight against cancer. But his positive attitude, his faith, and his loving bond with his family are keeping him strong.

In June 2016, Emmanuel started having high fevers that just wouldn’t subside. Concerned, his mother took him to a hospital near their home in West Palm Beach. At that time, he was diagnosed with mononucleosis, a virus more commonly known as “mono” that is spread through saliva and causes high fever, swollen lymph glands, and a sore throat.  Two weeks later, Emmanuel started having issues breathing during his sleep, and was suffering from severe hypothermia.

Emmanuel’s mother sought a second opinion at Holtz Children’s Hospital at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center, where doctors began testing his immune system.    

Tests revealed a large mass on the right side of his abdomen, which was then followed by a biopsy. The results were devastating.  Emmanuel was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that causes cells in the lymphatic system to grow out of control.

Since his diagnosis, he has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatments at Holtz Children’s.  

For Emmanuel, maintaining a positive attitude throughout his journey is the key to getting through it. Despite his illness, the sophomore at Spruce Creek High School is focusing on the future and is not losing hope for a full recovery.  

His dream: to attend law school at Yale University in Connecticut.