Thomas Heleniak
  • Accounting
  • Class of 2014
  • Conshohocken, PA

Cancer Survivor Thomas Heleniak Celebrates Life Milestone

2014 May 30

Life can't get much better for Thomas Heleniak. The 2014 Saint Joseph's graduate finished the four years he spent earning a bachelor's degree in accounting with a 3.75 grade point average and a coveted job as an army medical material specialist with the Defense Logistics Agency in the United States Department of Defense.

But for Heleniak, a native of Conshohocken, Pa., the road to graduation wasn't always smooth.

During his during his junior year at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.), Heleniakwas bothered by an unusual pain in his leg. A member of the school's wrestling team, he thought he had pulled a muscle. However, an X-ray scan revealed something very different: a cancerous bone tumor. He was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of cancer common in teenagers due to their rapid physical growth.

Heleniak left school and began treatment at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in June 2008. Although the cancer originated in his left femur and knee, it quickly spread to his sternum and lungs. The condition required eight rounds of chemotherapy and a metal knee and femur replacement.

"Chemotherapy hit me like a ton of bricks -- the nausea, drop in weight and hair loss," says Heleniak. "But my leg was the most painful. It was difficult learning to walk again through physical therapy while simultaneously experiencing the side effects of chemotherapy."

After finishing treatment, he graduated from high school and started his college career at SJU in fall 2010. Heleniak thrived, excelling academically and through involvement in extracurricular activities, including his role as the lead Hawk Host campus tour guide. Along with 22 of his peers, he also founded the chapter of a new honors fraternity chapter on campus, Phi Sigma Pi, and served as a supplemental instructor to accounting students. In addition to his active life on Hawk Hill, Heleniak found the time to volunteer as a firefighter with the Plymouth Fire Company.

Amid his success, he faced yet another devastating challenge during his senior year. AsHeleniak was crossing City Avenue on his 21st birthday, he felt a strong pain in his leg, causing him to fall. The metal leg replacement had cracked, and he had broken his leg.

"I needed to have the replacement redone, which required painful and extensive surgery and more physical therapy to learn to walk again," he says. "I was especially worried about all of the school I had to miss. Thankfully, my professors were incredibly understanding. They allowed me to Skype into my classes from home and gave me extra deadlines to finish work. They were accommodating, which allowed me to really focus on my recovery."

As Heleniak prepares to start his first job, he says he is grateful for the little things others may take for granted. "My experiences with cancer have helped me put in perspective how important personal freedoms are -- being able to shower, walk on my own, even attending class and seeing friends. I'm excited for the next chapter in my life.