As Tayler Ellison moves around the operating room at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, she walks with effortless grace. She knows these rooms well, not only from her past several months working as an anesthesia tech, but from three stints with pediatric cancer. 

Tayler was just 4 years old when her cancer journey began. Doctors diagnosed her with a brain tumor. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation helped her beat the disease. Ten years later, Tayler’s courage would be tested again. Doctors detected osteosarcoma, a bone cancer in her right jaw. She’d hear the diagnosis of cancer again at age 19: osteosarcoma again, but this time a different subtype.

All three times, Tayler crushed cancer. Her bead collection, now in the thousands, a colorful reminder of all she’s been through. Each one marks a step in her recovery from blood transfusions to chemotherapy and needle pokes. 

From Patient to Professional Pride

Now, at age 21, Tayler’s life has come full circle. She’s making a meaningful impact on patients by working at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, where she spent years fighting against a disease that she determined wouldn’t steal her joy.

“I am two years removed from cancer. I’m so proud,” Tayler says with quiet confidence. “And not only that, but I’m also giving back to the same hospital where my life was saved.”

Turning Her Experience into Hope

Tayler calibrates the anesthesia machines, sets up IV drips and helps patients get settled before surgery. Occasionally, she tells her story to patients and families in need of a little hope.

“I really love being able to be an inspiration and helping people see that there is a brighter day or a brighter future ahead,” Tayler adds.

She recently met a family whose child had just received a diagnosis for Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare condition caused by the mutation of the TP53 gene. It makes people more likely to develop cancer, and sometimes multiple types of cancer. Doctors diagnosed Tayler with Li-Fraumeni syndrome eight years ago.

“The family cried when I told them: ‘I also have it, and this is how my experience went, but I'm now 21 and it doesn't limit me and it doesn’t need to limit your daughter,’ ” Tayler recalls. 

The Doctors Who Watched Her Grow

Tayler is widely admired by the medical team at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital for her strength, confidence and a maturity level that has always surpassed her age.

She continues to see Jonathan Metts, M.D., who specializes in pediatric hematology-oncology.

“It’s been incredible to watch Tayler thrive,” Metts explains. “She's doing remarkably.”

Because of Tayler’s predisposition to cancer, she undergoes routine surveillance and scans every four to six months. Metts has been there for every question or concern. “Tayler has such a thoughtful approach to everything, and because she’s spent so much time in a hospital setting, she has no problem asking all the appropriate questions of her medical team and making sure she understands everything that's going on. So, seeing her now in her role as an anesthesia tech doesn’t surprise me, but it certainly makes me proud.”

Metts says Tayler’s attitude and perspective toward her cancer journey are inspirational to all who meet her, but knowing she’ll now have a direct connection with patients, adds another layer.

“Someone who has both the patient perspective and the medical professional perspective like Tayler does will allow her to build instant trust with every patient that she's going to encounter,” he says. “She's done everything and more that she'll be asking of the patients she cares for.”

Jennifer Mayer, M.D., Tayler's pediatric hematology-oncologist during her chemotherapy treatments, will never forget seeing Tayler in the operating room, gowned up and wearing an employee badge. 

“I did a double take and was so delighted to see that she’d joined our Johns Hopkins All Children’s family. What a gift for the children that they’ll be graced by someone who truly understands what they are going through,” Mayer says. “And for us physicians, nurses and team members of the Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute, it reminds us why we do what we do.”

Metts says every interaction with Tayler is memorable. “She can give me a beautiful timeline of everything that's happened to her since her last appointment. I don't know if it's effortless, but she makes it seem effortless. It’s all right there on the top of her head, organized and ready to be presented. Her ability to handle the complexity of cancer treatment is special.”

A Future Dedicated to Helping Others

Tayler has big plans to finish medical school and continue helping patients who find themselves struggling with difficult medical diagnoses.

“I want to be an inspiration showing they can do anything they set their heart on, despite the obstacles,” she says with conviction. 

“Tayler is truly a blessing to all that know her and she’s a role model. She’s proving that all the sadness can ultimately lead you down a path that will inspire others. Tayler is a remarkable young lady,” Mayer says with admiration. 

Metts believes Tayler could be the catalyst toward a medical discovery aimed at preventing Li-Fraumeni syndrome. “I feel like with persistence, she could make big breakthroughs that are going to help other kids in the future. Tayler is unstoppable.”