When a Chesapeake teenager was given the most devastating news of her life, her community rallied to support her and her mother.

On Aug. 10, Hannah Henderson, 19, was told she had APL, or acute promyelocytic leukemia.

“They thought I had strep throat,” Hannah said.

Hannah was treated for strep throat twice before doctors decided to test her blood for mono. Her blood test showed she needed an immediate blood transfusion.

As a result of the diagnosis, she now requires chemotherapy treatments five days a week, for the next five weeks, at Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus. After a two-week break, she’ll receive another five-week treatment. She had her first treatment on Monday.

“Your life changes completely,” said Hannah’s mother, Lori. “You take it day by day.”

Despite the diagnosis, Hannah said she is going well.

“I’m just glad there’s so many people supporting me in the community,” said Hannah. “There’s so many people doing fundraisers for me.”

Hannah had to postpone her LPN courses at Collins Career Center so she and her mother could move to Columbus for the treatments. They only get to come back home on the weekends. Lori, who recently lost her job, said the hospital provided them with an apartment and they are able to travel to treatments by shuttle.

Linzi Lewis, one of Hannah’s former teachers, heard about Hannah’s situation, and is helping to organize a benefit motorcycle ride.

“She’s in great spirits,” Lewis said. “She’s usually the one cheering everyone else up. She is funny, bright, intelligent and very hard working.”

The Friends for Life Benefit Ride is sponsored by the Collins Career Center where Lewis works.

Lewis said that registration for the ride would begin at Chesapeake Elementary School and concludes at Collins Career Center with raffles, prizes, food and music.

There will also be Hearts for Hannah T-shirts, bracelets and stickers for sale to promote leukemia awareness and to help pay for Hannah’s treatments and bills.

“She’s involved with every bit of this fundraiser,” said Lewis. “She is appreciative of everything.”

The ride is scheduled for Oct. 16, rain or shine. Registration is from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Chesapeake Elementary School. The ride starts at noon. The cost for single riders is $15 and the cost for doubles is $20. All of the proceeds will go towards Hannah’s treatments.

Hannah said she will be there for the events after the ride, but is still not sure whether she will be able to ride along.

Despite the circumstances Lori said the doctors are positive about Hannah’s treatment and said that the APL has a 90 percent chance of being cured.

“You just have to be positive about everything,” she said. “The support that everyone has given us, it’s been overwhelming. If we didn’t have them, we wouldn’t make it.”

To find out how you can help Hannah and her mother, contact Linzi Lewis at lewisln@collins-cc.edu.