PHOENIX — After two years of battling cancer, 7-year-old Veronica Strub victoriously rang the cancer bell at Phoenix Children's Hospital on Friday afternoon.
Veronica decided to have her sister, Zoey, join her in the special moment.
"Zoey has been always supporting me and I love her," Veronica said. "And she's my Chewbacca teddy bear."
Veronica was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in February 2022.
"I'm feeling happy that I'm done with cancer so I can live a like how my sister lives at home, like (a) child life," Veronica said. "I've been wanting to ride my pogo stick because I didn't ride it for a long time."
Veronica's parents said the cancer journey has been difficult on everyone but noted that Veronica gave them strength.
"It definitely hits as a parent on those hard days and you have to try to muster up everything that you have inside of you to carry on," Gary Strub, Veronica's father, said. "But Veronica always managed to push a little bit more out of you when you thought you didn't have enough, so [we're] definitely grateful for that."
Kimberly Strub, Veronica's mother, said the family is excited for Veronica's future.
"We're just really looking forward to her living a normal child life, and not having to take medicine every single day of her life, and not having to get surgery all the time," Kimberly said.
Veronica shared a message of encouragement to those going through a similar situation.
"Stay tough and never give up," Veronica said.
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