Charlene Heard’s son Myles was by her side in December 2022 to ring the bell at the Abramson Cancer Center celebrating the end of her radiation treatment.
Charlene Heard has been through a lot. When her teenage son Myles was diagnosed with leukemia in early 2021, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, the single mother had recently lost her mother and her aunt – two key members of their support system. Then, in between visits to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for Myles’ chemotherapy, Heard was diagnosed and treated for two brain aneurysms. And in April 2022, she received her own cancer diagnosis at Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center. She had bilateral breast cancer, with a different cancer in each breast, and she also carried the BRCA gene mutation, which is linked with an increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer. A few months before her double mastectomy at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), her sister suddenly died.
How does one go on? Heard said her love for her only child kept her grounded. “I didn’t want to bring down his spirits by sulking and crying all the time,” Heard said. “I had to remind myself of the things my father instilled in me: ‘You get your emotions out, and now it’s time to refocus and look at what you’re trying to achieve.’ ... I had to think about what was best for my child.”
On Dec. 15, 2022, Heard completed 5 1/2 weeks of radiation at the ACC with Myles, then a freshman at Temple University, by her side. Emily E. Smith, CRNP, MSN, a nurse practitioner in Radiation Oncology who treated Heard, said it was a privilege to be part of the community caring for Heard and her son and to share in their joy. “Charlene’s strength and determination during her treatment are inspiring to every member of her care team,” she said.
In April 2023, Heard – joined by friends and family behind her – documents the moment as Myles rings the chime at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia signifying the end to his leukemia treatment.
While Heard was happy to finish her treatment, her proudest moment came on April 30, 2023, when she stood beside Myles as he rang the chime at CHOP’s Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care, signifying the end of his own cancer treatment. With them were many friends and neighbors from their West Philadelphia community who have rallied around them with meals, financial donations, and emotional support during this whole journey.
As of now, both Heard and her son are cancer-free, and she approaches the future with gratitude for everyone who was there for both of them, including the care teams at CHOP and Penn. “Myles and I have both faced a lot of adversities,” Heard said, “and I am just so incredibly indebted to everyone.”