Ellie Rose: A Remarkable Teenager in Full Bloom

Ellie Rose: A Remarkable Teenager in Full Bloom

Ellie Rose is a remarkable young woman. She has complemented her natural intelligence and creativity with a remarkable work ethic and optimism that should be an inspiration to all of us.

— Treavor Lord, Head of Hill School

Ellie Rose Killinger

By Leonard Shapiro

As a freshman at Highland School in Warrenton, Ellie Rose Killinger was definitely exhibiting all the same Type A characteristics that had marked her years at the Hill School in Middleburg.

Outstanding student. A full plate of extracurricular activities. A member of the Highland varsity field hockey team. Then and now, sings like an angel and plays the piano, too.

Suddenly, in the fall of her sophomore year, it all changed.

First came the constant nausea, initially attributed to anxiety and a lack of sleep. Then it got worse. By Thanksgiving, she was bedridden in her Middleburg home, her body constantly aching, her face broken out in a butterfly rash unfolding across both cheeks.

She’d been treated at John Hopkins Hospital, and in February, 2020, she was admitted. Finally came the diagnosis: Central Nervous System Lupus (CNS), a debilitating and life-threatening systemic autoimmune disease characterized by multiple immunologic abnormalities.

The chemotherapy started on Valentine’s Day and a regimen of steroids soon followed, leading to this vibrant, vivacious red-headed teenager literally unable to recognize her own swollen face in the mirror.

“I went to my uncle’s house one day and he shook my hand as if I was someone he’d never met.” she recalled. “He didn’t recognize me. I had lost most of my hair from chemo. It was a very scary place to be.”

All this and a compromised immune system, coming at the same time period as a worldwide Covid pandemic. Clearly, going back to the classroom was out of the question, and for her final three years at Highland, she has been studying virtually, at home in front of the computer.

And not only studying. Excelling. In everything.“I love to learn,” she said. “When I was little, my parents used to call me ‘Little Professor.’ I guess I was talking pretty early.”

The Killingers: Lilly, Ellie Rose, Chloe and Keegan.

She has shown great strength and maturity in what felt like an impossible situation. She currently manages her Lupus with such grace, the same way she walks through life.

– Angela Killinger, Ellie Rose’s proud mom

Two months ago, 18-year-old Ellie Rose Killinger was named a recipient of a prestigious $20,000 Byrd Scholarship, awarded to outstanding high school seniors around the Commonwealth. It’s a rigorous application process, including an intense interview in front of a committee of public officials.

“When I went to Richmond, there were 15 people in the room,” she said. “I was not expecting that. When I finished, I was drenched in sweat. It was pretty intense.”

Still, rarely has there been a more qualified candidate.

Despite her health-related issues, including tremendous bone pain that still occasionally bites hard, Ellie Rose has been far more than just a scholar.

She is president of Highland’s “Girl Up” Club, with a mission of providing educational resources for women in Third World countries. Her sister Chloe, a junior at Highland, is vice president, and the club has also organized a fundraiser and a clothing drive to help less fortunate women, some homeless, some abused.

As a sophomore, she began blogging about her illness on Instagram. During her junior year, she started the “Ellie Rose Strong” foundation, with a website designed to provide information and more awareness about Lupus and other chronic illnesses. The foundation also sells specially designed t-shirts and sweatshirts, with all proceeds going to medical research.

There’s more. This year, she’s been tutoring two elementary school students. And this spring, she’ll be a teaching intern at Hill School.

She’s also been immersed in picking a college. On a trip to visit Haverford outside Philadelphia, she and her mother, Angela, decided to take a quick look at the nearby Bryn Mawr campus. Ellie Rose fell in love with the school, and will start her freshman year there in the fall.

As for the CSN, it’s mostly under control, despite her anemia. She finished her last chemo session earlier this winter, and the steroid doses have been reduced considerably. Her flaming red hair has mostly all grown back, and she surely would be justified to use her own angelic voice to sing the iconic West Side Story lyric, “I feel pretty, oh so pretty.”

These days, she can’t wait to go to college. She’s particularly interested in courses in education, psychology and journalism “because I love to write.”

“I’m still dealing with the Lupus,” she said, smiling all the way. “Some days are good, some not so good.”

A very good day is coming in a few weeks when she will attend, in person, her Highland graduation to accept her high school diploma. And no matter what, there’s no question this inspiring young woman will always stay Ellie Rose Strong.