Holy Cross sophomore winning the race to beat cancer

By Steve Svetovich

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Take Holy Cross sophomore student-athlete Gemma Eckersley Bistran, for instance.

In the spring of 2022, Gemma, now 16, was a 13-year-old student-athlete at St. Mary of Mount Carmel School, Dunmore. She was a fierce competitor in swimming and track and field.

However, during one swimming meet she struggled to breathe.

Her parents, Tristan Eckersley and John Bistran, raced to find a reason. Medical doctors involved in the case initially diagnosed long-haul COVID. However, after a chest X-Ray, it was determined Gemma had pneumonia.

Her Dickson City-based pediatrician, April Troy, MD, had a “gut feeling” something more serious was missed. She suggested Gemma’s parents take her to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to have her lungs drained.

With this procedure, it was determined Gemma did not have COVID or pneumonia. Gemma’s chest cavity was being ravaged by primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL), an extremely rare, relentlessly aggressive blood cancer. About 2,500 people are diagnosed with PMBCL annually.

The Holy Cross sophomore is now in remission and back to swimming and also running cross country and track. She and her parents credit the support of family, friends and strangers for keeping them focused and hopeful throughout their ordeal.

Last year Gemma raised money for cancer research in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Lehigh Valley and NEPA’s Student Visionairies of the Year campaign.

If a student visionary for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society raises $50,000, then he or she can name a grant. Gemma raised about $103,000, so she named two grants. One grant was for pediatric cancer research and another specifically for lymphoma research. Gemma named them in honor of Sonny Crotti and Thomas Zelno who lost their battles with cancer.

Tireless and focused, Gemma spent six months sending letters, making videos, reaching out to businesses and foundations asking them to donate. Both St. Mary’s and Holy Cross held dress down days.

Gemma was selected student visionary of the year for the Lehigh and Northeast Region.

This past September Gemma helped raise $2,243.00 for childhood cancer. She was supported by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Parkway Run/Walk and members and coaches of the Holy Cross cross country team.

Gemma continues to use her platform to raise money for others fighting cancer.

Gemma has a highly impressive 4.2 grade point average at Holy Cross. Her favorite academic subjects are history, government and languages,

Gemma is hoping to eventually attend college at the University of Pennsylvania to study psychology and early childhood education. “I want to pay it forward,” she said. “They were very good to me there. I would like to become a child life specialist. A child life specialist helps the children in a hospital go through the process. You are assigned to a child to comfort them. I want to do that. It’s my way of paying it forward.”

Gemma and a Lakeland student, Juliana Grier, are also involved with “Gems and Jewels.” The two students get together to make calls and contact people for donations and community fundraisers for cancer.

Gemma, with a clean bill of health, recently qualified for states as a member of the Holy Cross cross country team. She is also a member of the track and field and swimming teams. Her swimming season started last month.

Gemma had an MRI and blood work last month and all went well. “It came back clear and I hit the three-year mark of being in remission. It is all good right now. I do feel different than most people expect, though. I have that fear of feeling sick again. I don’t want that feeling again.”

Positive and strong-willed, Gemma said her parents are always there for her. “They have been at every single treatment.”

Gemma is proud her fellow cross country runners and other students and runners took part in the 5K run in Philadelphia to raise money for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“They got on a bus at 4:30 a.m. to go with me,” she said. “It was for a great cause. We will do it again. Everyone at Holy Cross is so supportive. It’s a great environment.”

“I want to pay it all back and raise money for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and for other cancer associations for children.”