Through the adolescent and young adult cancer program, Alec’s care team built treatment around the life events that mattered most, from prom and graduation to preparing for college football.
Alec Santelman spent New Year’s Eve 2024 celebrating with family in Cozumel, Mexico. He was a high school senior looking forward to the typical milestones like prom and graduation. He was also thinking about his next chapter — college at Bethel University where he’d recently committed to play football.
But when he woke up on New Year’s Day with pain in his thigh and a red mark on his leg — everything changed.
When the family returned home to Minnesota, the pain only got worse. He was struggling to walk. After a blood test at a local emergency room, the doctor recommended they take Alec to Children’s Minnesota.
Cancer diagnosis
Doctors at Children’s Minnesota agreed that Alec had an abscess in his leg and would need surgery to remove it. The procedure went well, but it was challenging to figure out what type of abscess was removed from Alec’s leg. After a few nights in the hospital, he was set to be discharged when the test results came in. It was a diagnosis the family never saw coming. Alec was diagnosed with localized Ewing sarcoma, a rare tumor that typically affects areas of the leg.
“I vividly remember the room filling with doctors,” said Alec. “I was thinking, ‘This must be bad.’ It was pure shock. It came out of left field.”
Specialized cancer care for teens and young adults
From the beginning, Alec’s family says his care at Children’s Minnesota felt different.
His care team, led by Chelsea Self, MD, didn’t just focus on the cancer. They focused on Alec as a whole person.
“They didn’t see Alec as a cancer diagnosis,” said his mom, Kristi Piehl. “They saw him as a human being with a full life, dreams and goals.”
That approach is at the heart of the adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer program at Children’s Minnesota, which is led by Dr. Self. The program is designed specifically for teens and young adults navigating cancer during an important stage of their lives.
Making space for life’s big moments
At the start of cancer treatment, the AYA cancer team wanted to know what upcoming events were important to him and his family. Then, they personalized his treatment plan around those events.
“They asked Alec, ‘What matters to you?’” said Kristi. “With a teen, those things are everything.”
He didn’t miss a single event.
He went to prom. He attended his school’s girl’s state championship basketball game, even after being hospitalized the day before. He attended his mom’s 50th birthday party, hours after having an allergic reaction to a platelet infusion.
“Dr. Self knew about this party. She was dedicated to getting him there,” Kristi remembered.
He also graduated high school with honors. For Alec, those experiences made a lasting difference.
“Treatment wasn’t my whole life,” he said. “I still felt like myself.”
Pushing forward, even during treatment
Alec’s treatment lasted 10 months and included surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation. Throughout it all, he stayed focused on staying active and his future — lifting weights and playing golf whenever he could. Even when it wasn’t easy.
“It wasn’t always fun in the moment,” Alec said. “But I noticed I felt better when I kept moving.”
That attitude helped him push through the hardest days.
Alec completed his last round of chemotherapy in November 2025 and has been cancer-free since.
Looking ahead with gratitude
Today, Alec is living out the future he worked so hard to protect — attending Bethel University and training with the football team.
Alec says his cancer journey changed him.
“This experience gave me an incredible drive to experience life, be grateful and push myself,” he said.
Giving back to help other families
The family has made it their mission to help others going through similar journeys. They’ve rallied their community to support patients and families in the cancer and blood disorders program at Children’s Minnesota through the I’m with Alec fund.
“It became clear right away that people wanted to help,” Kristi said. “We wanted to give them a way to make a difference for other families.”
Alec is also mentoring younger patients with cancer, offering encouragement and hope. “I want to be a light to other people going through this.”
