After 29 weeks of chemo, blood transfusions, six surgeries, and two types of cancer, Karen Naioti, a Junior at Portsmouth High School student shares a bit of her experience and is ready to live life again. 

Karen Naioti was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma cancer in her knee on October 24th, -2022. Osteosarcoma is a cancer that forms from the cells that form bones. This was the start of a long journey ahead. The next year was going to be one day at a time as she received two rounds of 10 weeks of chemo at the Jimmy Fund inside Dana Farber. She also had an eight hour surgery removing the tumor from her femur. 

She experienced chemo side effects that she described as “the worst thing ever. I felt so sick and couldn’t move.” 

Mouth sores, hearing loss, hair loss, exhaustion, and nausea were only just part of her experience. With only two weeks left of chemo, Karen and her family discovered she had thyroid cancer, which they successfully removed in the following months. 

“I felt like we were in a marathon and twisted our ankle [when we were] about to cross the finish line,” Kim Naoiti, Karen’s mom, said after finding out Karen had thyroid cancer near the end of her chemo treatment. 

Kim Naoiti mentioned her appreciation for Boston Children’s Hospital and the Jimmy Fund for keeping them on track and giving them the plan and information needed. She explained how everyday was hard as a mom and the nurses convinced her that her nursing skills to care and administer medicine for Karen were possible after doubting herself. 

Throughout every bad day there were smiles and planning to be done as Karen was granted a Wish from the Make A-Wish Organization. Her wish was revealed at a fundraiser in August 2023. Karen and all her friends were escorted in a limousine and surprised with a trip. 

Make-A-Wish is a life-changing organization that gives children with illnesses excitement and something to look forward to. Their vision is to grant the wish of every eligible child and to reach every child. It is so crucial to give families a chance to feel normal during battling times. 

“When a wish comes true it creates strength, hope and transformation in a child- and a community,” according to the Make-A-Wish foundation website. 

According to Make-A-Wish, since 1980 there have been more than 550,000 wishes worldwide granted. The volunteers, donations, and wish granters make it all possible. They make amazing opportunities for people like Karen. 

For Karen’s wish she decided to bring her family and friends on a trip to Saint Martin.  Karen found it only fitting to involve her friends. 

“I chose to bring my friends because I’ve always wanted to go on a trip with my friends and I thought they deserve to come because they were really supportive,” she said. 

Excitement was in the air when Karen’s wish was granted. 

“I was really excited because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to have a whole trip paid for and do so many fun things with your best friends. Also, usually Make-A-Wish trips are just for the family or wis- kid, so I was excited to be included,” said Alexa Paul, a junior at PHS,  and one of Karen’s closest friends. 

Karen said that Make-A-Wish always gave her something to look forward to when everything was bad. They brought her gifts, delivered cookies to her house and did little acts of kindness to make her smile. Now, Karen says she is definitely going to stay involved with Make-A-Wish. 

The trip to Saint Martin took place in February 2024 where Karen and her friends and family did so many fun activities: they went ziplining, coordinated their dresses every night, went snorkeling, saw dolphins on their boat-day, and spent so much time dancing and singing. 

When arriving at their vacation villa they were shocked and described it as better than imagined and expected. The house overlooked the ocean with two pools and a gigantic master bedroom that the six girls took over. 

“Everyone was so happy,” Karen said.

Throughout Karen’s journey she received incredible amounts of support from her community, family, and friends. 

Paul said that it was hard to see Karen become so quiet and shy and that it took a full year to get her outgoing personality back. She explained that it is hard to see Karen struggle with the PTSD and the trauma that cancer left her, but she is happy to have her energetic best friend back. 

“Karen brought us smiles along the way. She is a warrior and tackled everything they asked of her to do with superhuman strength. She has a gift to inspire and help others,” Kim Naioti said. “We are just so proud of her.”

As Karen’s one year cancer free approaches in July,  she reflects back on it. She will get scans every three months for two years and then it will change to every six months and then yearly. 

“It feels like such a relief. I can’t believe I actually did that,” Karen said.