University of North Texas Athletics
Thankful For the Love of Family
11/25/2020 1:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Thankful For the Love of Family
It was a windy April night in San Antonio. The only sound that could be heard was the steady beep of a heart rate monitor inside Methodist Hospital. The Ibarra family and their oldest daughter, Olivia, were in the emergency room after Olivia felt weak and fainted while walking down a stairway.
The Ibarras figured something was wrong with Olivia, but nothing could prepare them for the bad news they’d receive. Olivia, then 14 and a freshman in high school, had been diagnosed with leukemia.
I was scared. Your little girl is lying in a hospital bed with the chance that she may not walk out of there the next day. It’s terrifying.Julia Ibarra, mother of Olivia
Olivia, who played basketball and ran track, started to experience symptoms at a track meet. She was a successful long-distance runner, so when other competitors started to lap Olivia, her parents knew something was wrong.
Despite a doctor’s appointment and treatments, Olivia started to feel worse over the next couple weeks. After developing flu-like symptoms, her body started to weaken, and it became hard to walk around the house. Eventually, Olivia didn’t have the strength to walk at all and fell to the floor the night she was diagnosed with leukemia.
“I was more in shock than anything,” Olivia Ibarra said. “I don’t think it really set in until the next couple days when I didn’t go to school and everything was just different. I just started to realize that my life would change forever because of this.”
For the next 12 days, Olivia underwent intensive chemotherapy for 10 hours every day. It was a rollercoaster ride for the entire family.
“There were times when we would get to the doctor’s office at 8 a.m., and would be there all day long,” Jackie said. “They would be giving her some type of blood product or antibacterial or IV. It was tough on her.”
Eventually, Olivia sustained so much chemotherapy that her kidneys failed, which forced her to undergo dialysis treatment.
Finally, after months of chemotherapy, Olivia went into remission. It was hard not to find joy knowing that the battle with leukemia was possibly over.
However, Olivia and her family soon found out the fight with leukemia was much more than a battle - it was a war.
Just one year later at a monthly checkup in September 2008, Olivia’s blood levels were off. After multiple tests, doctors determined the leukemia had relapsed.
The doctors wanted to try a different form of treatment. Along with chemotherapy, they wanted to see if there were any donors willing to donate bone marrow.
The doctors tested Olivia’s sisters, Henrianna Ibarra and Julia Ibarra, to see if there was a match for Olivia’s blood type. Only 25% of people share the exact same blood type as their siblings. However, both Henrianna and Julia were matches with Olivia, meaning that both could donate bone marrow to their older sister.
“It’s honestly kind of crazy when you think about it,” Henrianna said. “There’s just such a small chance, but I’m glad that it all worked out.”
The doctors chose Julia to donate her bone marrow this first time. Before the transfusion could be completed, Olivia had to go through chemotherapy and radiation for a month because the leukemia had entered her spinal region. The chemotherapy also eliminated Olivia’s bone marrow to make room for the transplant.
A month after Olivia’s relapse, Julia was in a hospital bed where a doctor placed a needle through her hip bones and took out 40% of her bone marrow, which was taken to Olivia’s room and transplanted into her body.
Days later, Olivia caught acute Graft-versus-host disease, which dries out the eyes and skin while attacking body cells. Although Olivia’s body suffered from aGVHD, the disease killed off her remaining cancer cells. In October 2008, at 16 years old, Olivia Ibarra had, again, seemingly beaten leukemia.
The Ibarra family breathed a sigh of relief. For the next five years, Olivia remained in remission. The doctor visits cut down to once per year. All seemed well.
Then, in October 2013, Olivia went to the doctor for her annual checkup. Jackie said she expected everything to go “fine.” However, Olivia’s blood levels were extremely low. The Ibarra family braced themselves for the worst. The leukemia had returned for a third time.
“That third time was probably one of the hardest for me, as a father. The doctors had told us that if the cancer relapsed, the chances to survive decreased dramatically. There’s a 25 percent chance survival rate at that point, and that was a difficult situation to deal with. However, we relied on our faith to get us through this.”Henry Ibarra, father of Olivia, Henrianna and Julia
The Ibarras’ faith combined with Olivia’s unwavering desire to fight gave the family some optimism heading into Round 3.
I wasn’t losing to this cancer. Losing is not an option. I told myself that a long time ago, and it has just stuck.Olivia Ibarra
The same process as before took place. This time, however, it was up to current Mean Green volleyball player Henrianna Ibarra to provide the transfusion.
Henrianna was only 14 years old, while Olivia was in her third bout with leukemia as a 21-year-old woman.
“I’ll always say I wasn’t scared, but I’d be lying if I wasn’t a little nervous,” Henrianna said. “There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to help my sister. After all that she has been through, I would do anything for her.”
Olivia developed Graft-versus-Host disease after the bone marrow transplant. This time the GVHD was chronic and made Olivia very sick. The 21-year-old ended up in the ICU in critical condition. Doctors soon discovered that her lung had ruptured and she was bleeding internally. She was transferred to emergency surgery and lost 4.5 liters of blood.
“That was one of the scariest moments of this entire process,” Olivia said. “But you do what you have to do to survive. Like I said before, I’m not losing to cancer. I’m just so thankful that my family has been there to help me fight every step of the way.”
Olivia ended up recovering from the surgery and GVHD, and Henrianna’s bone marrow transplant worked. The cancer cells were killed off by Henrianna’s bone marrow. In February 2014, Olivia went into remission for the third time. She had won again.
Joy. That’s the only thing I can remember. Pure joy. The chances of anybody surviving three rounds of cancer is extremely slim, but my sister found a way to do that. She’s incredibly strong, and Olivia is, without a doubt, our hero.Henrianna Ibarra, sister & UNT volleyball player
Leukemia has affected the way Olivia lives her everyday life. Physically, Olivia has avascular necrosis, which is the death of bone tissue due to a lack of blood supply. This disease has deteriorated her bones for the past decade.
Olivia, now 27, has already endured two shoulder replacements, had both hips replaced and a right knee replacement. In addition, seasonal illnesses such as a cold impact her more than ever.
Mentally, Olivia has adjusted to living at home and only talks to immediate family on a face-to-face basis because of COVID-19. She has experienced true life-or-death moments since she was 14, which has impacted her outlook on life.
“Waking up every day is a win,” Olivia said.
Olivia has remained strong. Her contagious optimism has spread to the rest of her family.
“If you met Olivia today, you would never imagine that she goes through all of this,” Jackie said. “She always has a really good attitude and stays positive. She never feels sorry for herself, and that’s so impressive to me. She is just so happy to be alive. I’m so proud of my daughter.”
Henrianna, a senior DS/libero for Mean Green volleyball, said she has always looked up to her older sister. In fact, Olivia is an inspiration for Henrianna on the volleyball court.
“She’s my inspiration as to why I play volleyball and why I keep pushing,” Henrianna said. “She always wants me to work hard at whatever I do, whether that’s on the court, in the classroom or just in life.”
In one month, the Ibarra’s will celebrate the seventh anniversary of Henrianna’s bone marrow transplant to Olivia. Since that transplant in 2013, Olivia has been in remission.
I wouldn’t be able to fight without my family on my team. Without them, I am not speaking with you today. Family is everything to me. Even though I may not get to spend the holidays with many people this year, I have my family. That’s all that matters.Olivia Ibarra
Until that day comes, the Ibarras will continue to stay safe, live life and love one another. That’s what the upcoming holidays are all about.
