A college student thought she had a UTI. Then came fevers, fatigue and pain: "Something's not right"

February 28, 2026

TL;DR

Emma Operacz, a 21-year-old psychology student, experienced worsening symptoms initially mistaken for a UTI.
She was diagnosed with Stage IV T-cell lymphoma, specifically ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma.
After initial treatments failed and her cancer spread to her central nervous system, she was transferred to the Cleveland Clinic.
A lung cancer medication, alectinib, showed promise and led to remission.
Operacz underwent a bone marrow transplant, with her sister Sara as the donor.
She has since recovered, graduated, and started a graduate program in social work to help cancer patients.

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