An 18-year-old Starbucks barista burst into tears of happiness when her mother unexpectedly informed her that her 13-year-old sister had beaten cancer.
In August 2021, 13-year-old Megan Meia was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
She was in treatment for several months, and in early February, her mother, 41-year-old Kristin, received the good news that she was cancer free.
Before heading home to tell Megan the good news, Christina stopped by Starbucks to tell her 18-year-old sister Emily at the drive-in window.
The video of the emotional moment went viral on TikTok, with 22.8 million views and 5.4 million likes.
An 18-year-old Starbucks barista burst into tears of happiness when her mother unexpectedly informed her that her 13-year-old sister had beaten cancer.
Emily, 18, was working when her mother stopped by to tell her that her 13-year-old sister Megan didn’t have cancer.
‘My God. You make me cry at work,” she said.
Christina filmed the moment from her car as she pulled up to the window to place her order.
Emily didn’t seem to recognize her right away—perhaps because she was wearing a mask—and her brows furrowed in confusion.
Cristina started by ordering “a large latte with one shot of espresso and two percent milk,” but then delivered the good news by asking for “one shot of CAR-T and a 100 percent cure for cancer.”
CAR-T immunotherapy is a cancer treatment that is primarily used to treat blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma.
Emily gasped, shocked, and asked, “Really?”
Speaking in a high voice, the jubilant older sister kept asking several times if this was true.
You will make me cry, are you serious? she said.
Emily is pictured with her sister Megan, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in August 2021.
Emily was indeed crying, overwhelmed with emotion as her face crumpled under the mask and she wiped her tears away.
‘My God. You make me cry at work,” she said.
Meghan’s battle with cancer has been emotional for the family. After she was diagnosed with leukemia, they learned that she had a rare subtype that was resistant to chemotherapy and found in only one percent of children with cancer.
That’s why she went through a new immunotherapy and then plans to have a bone marrow transplant to stop the growth of new cancer cells.
The doctors said there was about a 25 percent chance that Megan’s siblings would be perfect for a bone marrow transplant, so most patients end up using the registry to find their donors.
It’s an emotional moment when a teenager with leukemia and her three siblings found out they were perfect for her bone marrow transplant.
Meghan’s treatment plan includes a bone marrow transplant, so each of her siblings has been tested to see if they’re a match for each other.
Things turned out differently for Meghan, however, as she learned at a “bone marrow show” at her grandparents’ home in Ontario, California, in December.
Megan’s mother Christina learned that there was a match between Megan’s siblings, but she asked doctors at Kaiser Permanente Fontana and Los Angeles Children’s Hospital not to tell her right away who the bone marrow match was, assuming it was just one person. .
Instead, she asked if the name could be put in an envelope so that the donor would be immediately known to the family.
The oncology nurses then offered to make an announcement by writing names on Christmas decorations and wrapping them up as gifts.
In the footage, Meghan’s family sang “Happy Donor Day” to her before she opened the box, which contained three trinkets.
During a bone marrow display party, they are shocked to learn that her siblings Brianna, 22, Emily, 18, and Ben, 12, match her bone marrow.
The whole family was amazed to learn that Megan’s siblings Brianna, 22, Emily, 18, and Ben, 12, are the perfect match for her.
Cristina was shocked, covering her mouth with her hands when she realized. The rest of Meghan’s family screamed with joy, cheering and screaming when they heard the amazing news.
“Meghan is getting a second chance at a healthy life thanks to her siblings. It’s worth celebrating,” Christine said.
“I wanted to have a party and shout from the rooftops that our prayer has been answered.
“I’ve seen so many gender reveal parties, so why not have a bone marrow reveal party? Both announce and celebrate new life,” she said.