Imagine: You’re working a shift at your drive-thru job, when mom pays you a random visit. Then she films you as she places her order. Embarrassment ensues, right?
Well, not this time.
Instead, Starbucks employee Emily Mejia got news that brought her to happy tears, and now the internet is celebrating along with her.
Emily’s mom begins to ramble off one of those typical convoluted Starbucks orders.
“Can I get a grande latte … with one shot of espresso, and 2% milk…”
Emily seems thoroughly confused at first that mom is making such theatrics. But that’s because mom isn’t finished yet.
She continues, “and one pump of CAR T and 100 percent cancer-free please.”
@emilylorraineee Finding out my 13 year old sister is cancer free at work @Starbucks #childhoodcancer #cancer #leukemia ♬ original sound – Emily Mejia
Emily’s 13-year-old sister Megan Mejia had previously been diagnosed with leukemia and added in the comments that she was resistant to chemotherapy.
CAR T-cell (chimeric antigen receptor) therapy alters a patient’s white blood cells in a lab so that they fight cancer cells. According to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, CAR T-cell therapy is a “major breakthrough” to treating both cell lymphoma and leukemia, adding that the hope is it could replace chemotherapy (and stem cell transplants) altogether.
It certainly brought a miracle to the Mejia family.
After understanding exactly what mom is saying (little sis is gonna be okay!), Emily’s voice instantly gets tiny.
“Really? Really? Actually? Are you serious? Mom, you’re gonna make me cry at work,” she squeaks, overcome with emotion.
Mom and daughter share a beautiful moment of laughing, crying, then laughing some more. That was until mom added, “can I really get that latte though?” She was still uncaffeinated, after all.
Emily shared that her mom said it was the best latte she ever had. Happiness really is the best sweetener.
@emilylorraineee It’s extremely rare to have multiple matches. We found out after this that our oldest sister Brianna is also a match. 3/6 siblings🎗💛
There’s even more good news: Emily posted a follow-up video that showed three of the six Mejia siblings are a match for Megan’s bone marrow transplant. Considering that doctors told the family that there was only a 25% chance of that, it’s no wonder the Mejias are jumping for joy.
Congratulations to Megan, and special thanks to Emily for sharing your family’s precious moment with the world.
(And, of course, to Emily’s mom for delivering the news in style.)