Nineteen-year-old Alexa Gourneau has decided to stop treatment for leukemia after battling the disease for ten years. Diagnosed at age nine, Gourneau has undergone extensive chemotherapy, blood transfusions, and numerous hospital stays. She expressed a desire to live as a "normal teenager" for the remainder of her days.
"Mom, I just wish I could be a normal 19-year-old for a little while," Gourneau told her mother, Holly Vaughn, according to a GoFundMe page set up by the family. Gourneau stated she is tired of feeling sick, the frequent hospitalizations, needles, medications, and the constant feeling of not being herself. "I'm, like, over getting poked at and prodded at, like, this is not the quality of life that I want," she said.
Her parents, Holly Vaughn and Justin Vaughn, have supported her decision, though they acknowledge its difficulty. "As tough as it is to say, I agree with your decision, it's also super hard, because as a parent, you never want to bury your child," her father told KHQ.
Gourneau has outlined a bucket list of activities and experiences she hopes to complete. These include simple pleasures such as eating pasta with her family, skateboarding, spending time with friends, and cuddling with her dog. She also hopes to travel to destinations like Puerto Rico, Hawaii, South Carolina, and visit Universal Studios and Paris.
Her mother shared that Gourneau's decision was not made lightly and followed extensive conversations. "Through it all, Alexa has never let cancer define who she is. She’s vibrant. She’s a little bit of fire… an old soul with the biggest heart," Vaughn wrote on the GoFundMe page. "She loves her family, loves being on the lake, snuggling with her hound dog, watching movies, and finding joy in life’s simple moments."
While Gourneau's exact prognosis remains unclear, doctors have cautioned that she may not live to see her 20th birthday in January 2027. Her mother emphasized the urgency to create memories. "We don’t know exactly how long we have. We only know that our time to make these memories is now. We don’t want to waste a single day."
Reflecting on mortality, Gourneau expressed a sense of peace. "When people think about death, they get scared. But me personally, when I think about death, I know I'm going to heaven. I can imagine myself at a beach where the sand isn't too hot, but it isn't too cold, and just being able to walk around without being tired. Just feeling normal. Whatever normal feels like," she shared with KHQ.
Holly Vaughn has taken time off work to be with her daughter, and the family has established a GoFundMe to help cover travel expenses, daily living costs, and to offset some of her lost income. "Whether we make it to every place or not, what matters most is simply being together while she's still feeling well enough to enjoy it," Vaughn stated.