Carissa's journey
Carissa Outen is battling cancer for the second time, struggling with exhaustion from the disease and finishing her senior year at North Central High school while going through chemotherapy and doctor appointments. But she's determined. Carissa attended her senior prom before losing her hair to chemo, and she'll graduate Saturday, June 5, 2010, at the INB Performing Arts Center.
Section:Gallery
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Carissa Outen, 17, is a senior at North Central High School. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2008. Her doctors said the type of cancer she had, follicular lymphoma, was rare in her age group. After undergoing chemotherapy for several months, the cancer cells disappeared. In February 2010, doctors informed Carrisa the cancer was back.
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After her diagnosis, Carissa Outen was determined to attend her senior prom. On the afternoon of her prom, she had her lashes done at the Makeup Studio in Spokane.
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Makeup artist Darla Ellis, left, works on Carissa Outen's lips under the the supervision of Carissa's mother, Gwen Ashcraft, on the afternoon of Carissa's prom.
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Makeup artist Darla Ellis applies Carissa Outen's false eyelashes at the Makeup Studio on the afternoon of her prom.
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Carissa Outen sees upclose the work of makeup artist Darla Ellis (right) after an appointment on the afternoon of her prom.
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Carissa Outen examines her makeup in a mirror on the afternoon of her prom.
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Carissa Outen and her mother, Gwen Ashcraft, pose for a self-portrait after Carissa's makeup appointment on the afternoon of her prom.
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Shane Walters styles Carissa Outen's hair in a Davenport Towers suite on the afternoon of the North Central senior's prom.
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Carissa Outen wanted her hair styled for prom in the same fashion she saw Paris Hilton wearing in a photograph.
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Carissa Outen smiles while Shane Walters styles her hair for prom in a Davenport Towers suite April 24, 2010.
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Carissa Outen high-fives Shane Walters after her prom night hair appointment.
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Carissa Outen pours her friends sparkling cider at the Davenport Towers before heading out for dinner and the North Central High School prom.
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Carissa Outen and her friends laugh after someone took a funny group photograph before heading out from the Davenport Towers.
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Carissa Outen takes a photo of herself and her prom date, Ted Lundgren, in the mirror of the Davenport Towers' elevator as they head down to catch a limo for dinner.
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Carissa Outen and her friends parade through the Davenport Towers lobby to catch a limo ride to dinner before prom.
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Carissa Outen and her friends huddle against winds whipping through downtown Spokane as they head for their prom night limo.
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Friends made Carissa Outen a memory board with pictures of her through her senior year. In the center, Carissa and her friend Ted Lundgren wear the crowns of prom queen and king.
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The day after her senior prom, Carissa Outen waits to start chemotherapy treatments at Providence Sacred Heart Children's Hospital in Spokane.
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Fluids drip into Carissa Outen's IV during chemotherapy treatment at Providence Sacred Heart Children's Hospital.
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Gwen Ashcraft comforts her daughter, Carissa Outen, as her chemotherapy treatment starts April 25, 2010, at Providence Sacred Heart Children's Hospital.
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Gwen Ashcraft comforts her daughter Carissa Outen at Providence Sacred Heart Children's Hospital.
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Carissa Outen checks her makeup before having her head shaved at Monique's Salon, May 11, 2010, in Spokane Valley. With chemotherapy treatments under way, Carissa's hair had started to fall out, and she chose to go bald, just as she had during her first battle with cancer in 2008.
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Carissa Outen poses with her sister Britnee for their mother, Gwen Ashcraft, before Carissa had her head shaved at Monique's Salon in Spokane Valley.
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Carissa Outen's head is shaved at Monique's Salon. The North Central senior chose the clippers instead of watching her hair continue to thin and fall out.
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Ashley Nelson of Monique's Salon shaves Carissa Outen's head May 11, 2010, as Carissa's friends and family watch in support.
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Locks of Carissa Outen's hair lie on the floor at Monique's Salon.
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Gwen Ashcraft, left, Brittnee Outen and Kirsten Arnold wipe tears from their eyes as they watch Carissa Outen's head being shaved at Monique's Salon in Spokane Valley.
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Close friend Ciara Mielke comforts Carissa Outen's mother, Gwen Ashcraft, as Ashley Nelson shaves Carissa's head.
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Britnee Outen caresses and kisses her sister Carissa's clean-shaven head moments after her hair was cut off.
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Friends Ciara Mielke and Andriena Peterson caress Carissa Outen's head as her mother looks on May 11, 2010, at Monique's Salon in Spokane Valley.
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Drue Heinen holds Carissa Outen after she had her head shaved clean.
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Carissa Outen sports sunglasses after having her head shaved.
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Rick Colon embraces a teary-eyed Gwen Ashcraft outside Monique's Salon, May 11, 2010, after her daughter Carissa Outen had her head shaved because of the effects of her chemotherapy treatments.
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Juggling books and a water bottle while chatting on her phone, Carissa Outen heads toward lunch with her friends at North Central High School after her AP History class.
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Carissa Outen shows her North Central High School classmates pictures of a castle she planned to research for her AP European History class.
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Carissa Outen sneaks in a laugh with friends in her AP history class at North Central High School on May 13, 2010, in Spokane.
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Ribbons showing support for Carissa Outen cover the hallways at North Central High School.
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Students signed their names to ribbons hanging in the hallways of North Central High School to show their support for Carissa Outen.
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While the May weather warms, Carissa Outen spends an afternoon working on math problems with home hospital teacher Margarot Mattison. Carissa has missed school because of her chemotherapy.
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Carissa Outen and home hospital teacher Margarot Mattison laugh while working on math problems.
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Carissa Outen talks on the phone while Rhonda Rasmussen, right, a visiting home nurse, changes the dressing around her chest catheter and her mother, Gwen Ashcroft, removes a dangling necklace May 13, 2010, in her north Spokane home.
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Carissa Outen talks on the phone while a visiting nurse tends to dressing around a chest catheter at Carissa's north Spokane home.
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Carissa Outen works on math problems with a tutor at her home May 13, 2010. On her wrist she wears a courage bracelet given to her by an Albertson's customer.
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Kristina Totman collects money for gift baskets she plans to auction off at the Spokane Community College student union building May 19, 2010, to benefit Carissa Outen.
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Jon Coggin, 10, sells chips for $1 to raise money for Carissa Outen on May 19, 2010, at the Spokane Community College Spring Fling Car Show.
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Carissa Outen wheels her IV pump across the sky bridge leading to the Providence Sacred Heart Children's Hospital on May 17, 2010, during a chemotherapy treatment.
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Carissa Outen receives a comforting touch from her friend and co-worker Jami Jobes as she under goes a second round of chemotherapy at Providence Sacred Heart Children's Hospital.
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Carissa Outen visits with Gregory Bibb outside her Providence Sacred Heart Children's Hospital room. Carissa was at the hospital for her second round of chemotherapy.
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Carissa Outen waits with her mother, Gwen Ashcraft, to go into surgery May 29, 2010, at Providence Sacred Heart Children's Hospital. Carissa was getting a line implanted into her femoral artery so that her stem cells could be harvested.
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Carissa Outens' stem cells are harvested May 29, 2010, at Providence Sacred Heart Children's Hospital in Spokane. Once the chemotherapy knocks out Carissa's cancer, she'll have a stem-cell transplant and spend three months in isolation.
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An exhausted Carissa Outen and her mother, Gwen Ashcraft, wait out the long process of harvesting Carissa's stem cells at Providence Sacred Heart Children's Hospital.
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The entire INB Performing Arts Center, including her North Central High School classmates, stand and applaud Carissa Outen during graduation ceremonies, June 5, 2010.
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Gwen Ashcraft races to embrace her daughter, Carissa Outen, after the North Central High School graduation ceremonies at the INB Performing Arts Center.
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With her close friends by her side, Carissa Outen celebrates graduating from North Central High School with a smothering group embrace after ceremonies at the INB Performing Arts Center, June 5, 2010.
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