Submitted by Nancy Dowling
It’s been a challenging journey for 13-year old Paige Nohr, but the worst of her cancer diagnosis and treatment is now in the rear view mirror as life gradually returns to normal.
In early December 2024, Paige, a dedicated gymnast, noticed some pain in her upper right arm. Being a young athlete, initially her parents attributed the symptoms to her rigorous practice session with her gymnastics class. Within a few days, while spending time with her biological father, her father noticed swelling in her right bicep and, being an exercise and fitness enthusiast, felt it should be checked out.
He then took Paige to the Yankton Medical Clinic. From that appointment, things moved quickly. On December 4, 2024, a prolonged MRI procedure followed up with a biopsy at UNMC in Omaha confirmed a diagnosis of Undifferentiated Round Cell Sarcoma, a rare, highly aggressive malignant tumor of bone and soft tissue primarily affecting children and young adults. On January 15, 2025, Paige and her parents met with an Oncology specialist at Children’s Hospital in Omaha who recommended chemotherapy.
Wishing to complete the treatments closer to home, parents Jana and Michael Huchtmeier met with Dr. Jordan Fritch-Hanson, a Pediatric Oncologist at Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls, to plan the specific course of treatment for Paige.
Acknowledging that this particular cancer can advance to the lungs and bones, scans were performed which confirmed this fortunately had not occurred. Paige subsequently commenced nine chemo treatments over 14 weeks including a one month break to restore her immune system.
The next step in this journey was the need for surgery to remove the remaining tumor.
The medical team recommended surgery instead of the radiation option, resulting in fewer side effects for Paige. Her surgery took place on April 29, 2025 at UNMC removing her right bicep and deltoid. The surgery was followed by 22 weeks of chemotherapy beginning in May 2025. Although this round of chemo was scheduled to be completed by October, it extended to December due to a low RBC (red blood cell) count.
Needless to say, chemo treatments, fevers, and blood transfusions left Paige both physically and mentally drained. Wanting to keep up with her class, she attended school virtually, thanks to the Crofton School staff. Her treatments also put a big dent in her participation in her much-loved gymnastics.
Paige attended as many practices and meets as possible, but recalls missing four weeks of practices and two meets post-surgery. At one point, her chemo port needed to be replaced by a PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) Line, preventing Paige from safely participating in practices and meets.
In addition to the anticipated hair loss, Paige experienced “chemo fog”, a memory loss which can last one year.
She also noticed a surprising distaste for some of her favorite foods such as pickles and chicken. On the other end of the food spectrum, she found she enjoyed eating food from Subway.
Her weight fluctuated between a loss of several pounds due to loss of appetite to a significant gain from a prescribed medication, making her gymnastics workouts difficult. Her parents kept her strength and body mass maintained with a regimen of protein-rich foods, Instant Breakfast shakes and Flintstone vitamins.
Through all of her difficulties, Paige sustained a positive attitude. Although she missed the normal interaction with her gymnastics teammates, she was present whenever possible to cheer them on, and Paige herself qualified for regional and state competitions while receiving chemo treatments in 2025.
In recognition of her perseverance and positive attitude, Paige was awarded the Briella Be Brave Scholarship on February 22, 2026 at the Wings Gymnastics Invitational in Sioux Falls, a $1,000 scholarship which covers gymnastics tuition and camps. This award is presented in memory of Briella Welch, a gymnast who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2022 and died at the age of 12.
As Paige continues her recovery, her advice to others facing a similar ordeal is “Look up, push yourself and stay active.”