September gives us time to reflect about cancer's wide reaching effects. It is childhood cancer awareness month. Out of the 12,400 children and teens across the country that are told they have cancer every year, American Cancer Society officials say 40 to 50 of them are right here in Alaska.

If you happen to bump into Ariel Courtright you will probably see her walking around Chugiak High School. Or maybe you will see her cheering on the sidelines as her boyfriend plays for the Mustangs. The 14-year-old was diagnosed with the blood cancer leukemia about eleven years ago. So chances are just as good you will run into Ariel as she continues to talk to a lot of you about being a teen that happened to survive cancer.

Ever since she was little girl, CBS 11 News viewers have watched Ariel grow into a young lady. We first met four-year-old Ariel in 1998 when she was the Army's Golden Knights and Air Force's Thunderbirds guest of honor, as she battled leukemia.

Then we caught up with Ariel in January 2005 as she spoke about surviving cancer to other children. "I had leukemia when I was four years old," Ariel told the Mirror Lake Middle School crowd.

It is obvious, talking to a now 14-year old Ariel, she has grown into her cancer teacher role. "My parents tell me a lot about what happened. About going through cancer."

Ariel's mom, Josie Courtright, helps her daughter fill in the blanks. Courtright says eleven years ago her mother's intuition told her there was

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something wrong. Recalling those tense moments Courtright says, "I got up and I just look at her glands and just kind of looked at her. And I said there is something wrong with her."

Alaska Children's Hospital officials say long periods where your child lacks energy and generally does not feel well is just one of childhood cancer's early warning signs. Also look out for bruising, headaches, vision problems, and dizziness.

"So we go to the hospital," Ariel recalled. "And my mom says my daughter has a fever and had a cold. But she also found a lump on the side of her neck. So she also showed that to the doctor."

Blood tests, hours of waiting, and then Josie Courtright's world fell apart when Ariel's doctor told her 'I'm afraid your daughter has cancer.' "That's the exact words," Courtright recalled with a tear in her eye. "And he did not play games. And he just said I'm afraid your daughter has cancer. And I'm just like OK. I don't even cry. I was shocked. I don't know what to do." Ariel adds, "The doctor came out and said I'm sorry your daughter has cancer. You have 20 minutes to go home. Pack. And you'll be on a Learjet to Seattle."

Once that plane landed, for almost two years, the Seattle Children's Hospital became the Courtright's home. Ariel says, "There was just a bunch of little kids like me. Running around. No hair."

Josie adds, "It's just I saw a lot of kids when we're at Seattle, and they're all from here in Alaska. And two or three kids did not make it. We become a family and of coarse we have to go to the funeral. And you have to witness. And as a mom, oh my gosh, that's not going to be happening to her (Ariel)."

Thankfully it did not. However, when Ariel returned to school, she says a single event told her heart she would want to educate anyone she could about childhood cancer for the rest of her life.

"Kids thought that I was contagious," Ariel says. "They were going to get cancer. And it's not like that. You can't get that. And it's just really important to me that other kids know how it feels like. And don't take life for granted. 'Cause I know so many kids in high school, and middle school take life for granted. It's not smart."

Now more than seven remission years later that is the motto Ariel's living by, "After five years they say you're cancer free. So I'm pretty much just like anyone else."

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