Article by Yhali Sheba

Anne Shachal: Making the Room to Compromise for the Immunocompromised

BY YHALI SHEBA

Anne Shachal has always been a caregiver. As an infant development specialist in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Stanford Children’s Hospital, Anne looks after babies that are premature and have birth defects. At work, she would take care of all sorts of babies, but Anne also had her own babies to take care of at home: her three sons, Eric, Kyle, and Ryan, whom she describes as her greatest pride and joy in her life.

There is no doubt that caring for others is a fundamental aspect of Anne’s life, but recently, she has been the one in great need of care herself. Unfortunately, Anne’s relationship with babies, both her own and at work, was first disrupted by her breast cancer diagnosis in 2012, when doctors told her she would have a slim chance of surviving. Against the odds, Anne ultimately won her initial battle against breast cancer.

Unfortunately, her cancer journey didn’t end there. During January of 2020, right as the global COVID-19 pandemic went into full effect, Anne’s relationship with her kids, both at work and at home would, once again, be threatened.

After feeling intense hip pain, Anne received a new diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer. In other words, the cancer which was originally in her breast had moved to a new region of her body, and at this point, she would no longer be curable, only treatable. To complicate matters, Anne’s prescribed medication, which she continues to take as treatment, made her immunocompromised just as the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The grim reality is that Anne is one of many immunocompromised people whose normal day-to-day lives have been disrupted by the pandemic. With the release of the vaccine and with the spread of the virus subsiding, people have slowly returned to their normal lives, and many have started to let go of the masks and loosen their safety habits. While the risks and fear may have dissipated for most of us, this doesn’t mean that the pandemic is no longer a threat. According to Statista, “As of April 4, 2022, around 492 million cases have been recorded worldwide. The United States had the highest number of COVID-19 cases, followed by India and Brazil” (Elflein). In fact, over six million people have died from COVID-related illnesses, and this number continues to steadily grow, confirming that there are people out there that are still detrimentally affected by the pandemic (Elflein). Those who are immunocompromised, such as Anne, have been hit the hardest, as they still face life-threatening health risks due to having much weaker immune systems.

In spite of the restrictions on her life, Anne still shows up to work every day to care for others while taking care of her family. Being an infant development specialist is no easy task, and it can be very emotionally taxing at times, as the babies who Anne works with don’t always get a happy ending. One difficult day that Anne recalled from her work was when she had to attend the funeral of a five-month-old baby. “She was premature…”

Anne explained, “born about three or four months early and had fought a long battle. He was doing really well, but then got sick pretty quickly, decompensated, and died.” (Shachal). Despite having to go through grief, Anne still has a strong love for her job which is fueled by her passion for taking care of babies. Luckily, not all days are sad ones for Anne, “I think in general, seeing a baby grow from a pound to an eight-pound baby that gets to go home with their family is rewarding every time it happens.” she exclaimed (Shachal).

One of Anne’s most memorable patients was a baby by the name of Haven, who was born at a weight of 14 ounces; just a little bigger than the size of a Coke can. Anne would come in every week to take care of Haven; they would practice reaching for four toys, grasping toys, and bringing toys to his mouth, as well as a tummy time to help him develop core strength by lifting his head. Anne would also play with Haven by reading stories and doing visual and social activities, which is when he would start to smile. After a lot of intensive care and nurturing, and after seven months at the hospital, Haven was able to go home to his family at a healthy eight pounds.

“Remember that tomorrow is not is not it given, and not to take that in a morbid way, but to take that as a celebration to to really embrace every day and take that trip to Paris that you’ve always wanted to take.” Anne Shachal Anne was happy to say goodbye, and she looks back on her experiences with Haven as one of her most joyous occasions at her work. Anne’s work helps the future generations of society by taking care of babies who didn’t have the easiest start. The truth is, for babies like Haven, life isn’t a guarantee, and without help from infant development specialists like Anne, there’s no certainty that they would survive. The implications of her work extend way beyond the early stages of life, many of the people in our day-to-day life may have been treated by an infant development specialist, and there’s no telling if they would even be here today without their help.

Sadly, Anne’s work was interrupted by her battle with cancer, leading to her immunocompromised conditions. However, the metastatic breast cancer that she discovered in 2019 wouldn’t be her first encounter with the illness. In early 2012, when Anne was only thirty-seven years old, she decided to do a self-exam in the shower, despite being in perfect health, and to her surprise, she found a strange lump in her body. Although she didn’t know what it was at the time, she knew that it was something bad. Anne would consult this lump with a doctor, who would dismiss it as being nothing serious, but decided to have her do a mammogram just in case.

The mammogram sent Anne down a dark road that would eventually lead to a biopsy, which would reveal that she, in fact, had cancer. “The same day that I got a phone call that I had cancer, my middle son was graduating from preschool…” Anne recalled, “...and I remember sitting in the stands where he was graduating in his little church preschool, thinking, what if this is the last graduation I ever see my kids have? I’m not ready for that”

(Shachal). At the time of her first diagnosis, Anne’s kids were two, five, and seven, and she described her illness to them as a “ yucky thing in my body, but the doctors knew how to fix it” (Shachal), voiding them of the reality that their mother was very sick, and that tomorrow was not a guarantee for her. But Anne’s kids, who she loved so dearly, were able to motivate her throughout her recovery, even though the hardest of days. When tomorrow was uncertain, Anne’s love for her family provided the certainty that she needs to power through her illness, and eight months later, she defied the odds and officially became cancer-free.

Anne’s battle was an emotional rollercoaster, not only for herself but for her family, so when she discovered that she had it once again in 2019, her greatest fear had become a reality. Anne said with sorrow, “When it comes back, you realize that you not only are going to have to deal with this again, but it’s going to be a lifelong battle because, with metastatic breast cancer, there’s no cure. It’s something that you’re going to now manage for the rest of your life.” (Shachal). Anne’s second battle with cancer would be very different from the first, as it began during the early stages of the pandemic. Anne was told by her doctors that getting COVID would be an immediate death sentence, so for the next nine months, she had to stay home and isolate herself entirely. This meant that even her children couldn’t go outside and interact with friends, as this increased the risk of her getting the virus. Anne felt a lot of guilt during this time, as not only did she have to cut herself off from society, but her kids did as well.

This put her in a dilemma as she didn’t want to deny her kids access to fun experiences, but she also had to prioritize her health and safety. Being in complete isolation meant that Anne could no longer go to work, considering how she works in a hospital, where there could be large amounts of germs from the many patients coming in and out every day. As Anne’s confinement to her home comes to an end, It is imperative that we change our ways so that we don’t risk losing her again. But how do we do that, and why should we?

As people like Anne attempt to re-integrate into everyday life, they must rely on healthy individuals to act more mindfully so that immunocompromised people can live their lives more normally. So what changes do we need to make? When asked this question, Anne responded by saying, “I think access to the world is important for people who are immunocompromised so they don’t feel like they’re shut-in… I think having access to things online or not being judged is very important.” (Shachal).

Anne isn’t the only one who thinks this way, in fact, many immunocompromised people unanimously agree that making them feel included and protected is necessary. Johnnie Jae, an immunocompromised man who has lived with lupus since he was nine years old, voices his concerns and hopes for the future: “It’s very elementary. You know…Wear a mask. Get vaccinated… socially distance yourself, and be mindful and respectful of the people around you, and that means making changes. And these changes aren’t going to be temporary. They’re going to have to be permanent changes that we’re going to have to adjust to” (Chang). Some of the changes that we need to make are very significant, but it is necessary that each do our part. It’s important that we remember that

immunocompromised people are still human, and our lack of compassion towards them doesn’t go unnoticed. Kendall Ciesemier, who is immunocompromised due to having two liver transplants, voices her concerns in regards to the issue: “...These communities have not been prioritized during the pandemic and it feels like our lives are acceptable losses” (qtd. in Knight). Ciesmemier speaks on behalf of the millions of other immunocompromised lives that are all around us. These people depend on us to make the change, whether it’s by giving them new opportunities to stay connected to society or upholding our safety precautions to make sure they feel safe. Whatever the next step may be, we must be compassionate and compliant, not only for Anne’s sake but for everyone who is immunocompromised.

As of 2022, Anne has switched her cancer medications, meaning that she is no longer considered immunocompromised, but her time spent in that condition has given her powerful insights into how difficult life can be for someone with a weaker immune system. Anne’s ongoing battle has given her a unique perspective on life, and how it’s important to live in the moment, living every day like it’s your last. Anne has big plans for the future, and now that the world is more accessible to her, she hopes to travel with her children and create memorable experiences that will last a lifetime. During the recent spring break, Anne even got the opportunity to visit Italy with her family, so it’s safe to say that Anne isn’t letting her illness affect the way she lives her life. However, the future isn’t certain for Anne, and there’s no telling whether she may have to switch medications again and risk becoming immunocompromised. Despite what the future may hold, we owe it to people like Anne, who work passionately and do our society an immense service, to act mindfully so that they can live their lives in a way that is more fulfilling. Just like how Anne takes care of babies, we must take care, not only of Anne but of everyone who is immunocompromised, as their wellbeing is in our hands.

During her battle, Anne has been calm throughout the storm, and despite the ever-changing world circumstances, Anne has been very understanding. “It’s okay to be upset, and you don’t have to be strong because a lot of people want to say, oh, you’re so strong, or, wow, I don’t know how you do it. And the real truth is you don’t have a choice. You have to do it” (Shachal).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Yhali Sheba as a Junior at Mountain View High school who attends the film program at Freestyle Academy. Yhali is very academically driven, and is in the constant pursuit of expressing creativity, whether it be through film, design, writing, or any other medium. Prior to freestyle, Yhali had spent a year doing freelance graphics design, and completed the film program, GMSTV, at Graham Middle School, all of which funneled in to his passion for fine arts. Yhali hopes to create work that tells a story and inspires others to find the inner beauty in life. Yhali’s previous work was centered around conveying complex emotions and ideas through film language; in such a way that challenges the viewer to seek the deeper meaning. Creating the documentary with his partner Eric, challenged him to step out of his comfort zone and create a new genre of work. Through working on this project, Yhali has learned a great deal about the importance of hearing someones story.

Furthermore, working with Anne taught Yhali that everyone has something going on in the background of their lives which affects them personally, and we may not always take this into consideration. “Often in life,” Yhali Says, “we may only be looking at a piece of the puzzle, and not the full image. Sometimes we have to take a step back in order to see the bigger picture.”

Scan this QR code with your phone to go to Yhali’s Documentary Website.