No one told Taylor Wilson she had to be tough. Doctors begged her to let them know when she experienced fatigue and pain.

But Taylor never complained throughout her three-year battle with leukemia, said Aimee Wilson, Taylor’s mother.

“A lot of people who go through this don’t have that kind of drive—I knew she would make it through because she had that,” Aimee said.

Aimee is constantly amazed at her daughter’s perseverance, she said.

“I just don’t like to complain,” said Taylor, who has recently been putting her toughness to another use—karate.

 Taylor’s battle

Taylor was diagnosed with leukemia Dec. 22, 2009.

“When they found her counts, she was at death’s door,” Aimee said. “Her counts were down to nothing. She showed no signs except for her skin was gray. She never complained.”

During her fight with the disease, she impressed her doctors, especially Jeffrey Schwartz, one of Taylor’s oncologists, with her toughness as well as her taste in music.

Taylor’s usual clothing choices include band T-shirts and Converse, and Schwartz wore similar clothing on days when Taylor visited the hospital so Taylor would feel more comfortable, Aimee said.

“We got out of the elevator at the hospital one time, and she had on one of her typical Guns N’ Roses T-shirt, and one of the doctors was like, ‘What do you know about Guns N’Roses?’ and she looked up at him without a moment’s hesitation and said, ‘Probably more than you,’” Aimee said.

After three years, eight rounds of cranial radiation, five different types of chemotherapy, 24 spinal taps, four bone marrow biopsies and countless tests, Taylor was declared cancer free in April.

“When we came home from the hospital, we put on her wall in stickers, ‘I’m kind of a big deal,’ and that’s what I always wanted her to realize going through this, is that no matter what happens, you’re a big deal, just because of how you’ve handled all of it,” Aimee said.

 A different kind of fight

May 2, Taylor started practicing karate at Wheeles Yoshukai Karate Academy in Gulf Shores, where her 8-year-old brother Garrett had been training for a year.

“I knew this would be a great outlet,” said sensei Chris Wheeles, who had been close to the Wilson’s throughout Taylor’s sickness. “She’s already tough, but I knew this would be something that would help her build back her confidence after being so sick and not being able to do anything for so long.”

Taylor has progressed quickly since May. She is now a yellow belt, which is the second level in the progression of karate mastery. Aug. 22, Taylor placed second in two events at her first tournament in Panama City Beach, Fla.

In addition to her success in the art of karate, Taylor’s body is recovering faster as a result of the physical activity and use of fine motor skills that karate requires. Because of one of the chemotherapy treatments, Taylor suffered from neuropathy in her feet and was unable to feel them for three years.

“She couldn’t even wear flip-flops,” Aimee said. “We take for granted that we hold our flip-flops on, and she couldn’t do that.”

At first, Talor had a hard time with kicks and balance because of the numbness in her feet, but now, she is competing with others who have never had physical ailments, Wheeles said. 

“She’s seen her body get progressively stronger and better just in the three months that she’s been here,” Wheeles said. “She couldn’t do jumping jacks at first because her feet were so messed up. It’s stuff that you can see.”

Taylor’s karate family

Taylor said experiencing such drastic physical improvement is only one of the many benefits of participating in karate. The best part is getting to spend time with people who have become like another family.

“I feel the same support from my karate family as I do at home,” Taylor said. “I feel very lucky to be part of such a great group of people.”

Wheeles said he is honored to work with Taylor and is often surprised by her humility and strength. Her biggest concern before the tournament was making sure that none of the other competitors or judges knew she was recovering from leukemia. She didn’t want special treatment.

“That’s why I do this,” Wheeles said. “My teachers made such an impact on my life in so many areas, and I do this not to make fighters or tough people, but to really help their lives and impact them in a positive way.”

Aimee said karate has been a wonderful experience for both of her children as well as the 70 other students at Wheeles’ dojo.

“Even without having to go through cancer, everybody’s going through something,” Aimee said. “This helps get your kids focused. It helps having people who care about them—truly care about them, and it’s not fake. I believe as a parent, kids need that, and they know that he genuinely cares. He’s hard on them, but he loves them just as much, and you can tell from his actions. And that’s a big deal.”