- Primary Children's Hospital hosted a prom for young cancer patients in Salt Lake City.
- The event provided a sense of normalcy and joy for patients like Naviniah Nunez.
- "The Wizard of Oz"-themed prom included food, music, and salon services for attendees.
SALT LAKE CITY — For many young cancer patients, treatment doesn't just mean hospital stays — it often means missing out on the milestones that make childhood special.
Naviniah "Nin" Nunez knows that firsthand. She was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia just before her 16th birthday.
"My mom and I went into urgent care, and we thought we were going to leave that night, and we never did," she said. "We ended up going by ambulance to Primary Children's because they found my white blood cell count was really, really high.
Nunez underwent five rounds of chemotherapy.
"Total inpatient days was 205," she said. "I was a little frustrated because I couldn't leave, and I was there for a long time."
So, when she learned about Primary's prom, it gave her something to look forward to.
"It was a nice kind of escape from the hospital," she said.
"We created this prom experience to not just connect them with their friends and their peers but to also meet other kids going through similar things," said Caroline Dolan, an oncology social worker at Primary Children's Hospital.
Dolan said for kids facing isolation and intense treatment, these kinds of joyful experiences matter. "Because they're so immunocompromised, some of our patients can't attend big events in group settings, so this hopefully gives them a chance to kind of recreate that really important childhood adolescent milestone of going to a prom and create a new memory in a place where we've asked them to do really hard things."
Nunez attended last year's prom. We caught up with her before this year's dance, which was held last weekend in the Eccles Outpatient Services Building at Primary Children's Hospital — the third time the hospital has hosted the event.
This year's "Wizard of Oz"-themed prom featured food, photo ops, a DJ, and unforgettable moments for patients, their families, and the caregivers. Patients also received salon services in their hospital rooms to prepare for the special night.
"It was just the best night," Dolan said. "You're able to have fun and dance on the dance floor and connect in a different way."
"Your care team is there and the kids who went through similar things as you are there. I think it makes it more special," Nunez said.
Nunez is in remission and still goes in for regular checkups. But thanks to moments like this, she's creating memories that go far beyond her diagnosis.
"It was something that I'll never forget," she said.
