Dear family and friends of Skyler Yap, During Christmas 2023, we received devastating news that Sky was diagnosed with APL, Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia). APL is a rare, subtype of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Only 10-15% of leukemias are APL. It is a very aggressive and fast-progressing cancer. We found out that within a couple of days, the cancerous cells had outnumbered all of Sky’s normal blood cells. Sky was quickly transferred to Long Beach Memorial for higher level of oncology care and will be going through induction chemo and targeted therapy at the hospital for at least 1 month. He is high-risk for bleeding, and is on neutropenic precautions, meaning he would not be able to fight an infection due to a weakened immune system. He will need several blood transfusions and close monitoring at the hospital. Sky’s passion lies in the world of healthcare. He first started as an EMT with Lynch Ambulance, and now works as an ER tech at Orange Coast Memorial in Fountain Valley, California. He works skillfully and diligently alongside his healthcare team to provide emergency care during his 12-hour shifts. His happy-go-lucky aura brings a sense of comfort to not only his coworkers, but the patients he cares for in the ER. While working as an ER tech, Sky has aspired to become a Registered Nurse. After several years of applying to nursing programs, Sky was finally accepted at Saddleback College in January of 2023, and after finishing his second semester, the unfortunate news came that he had APL. In a sudden twist of fate, Sky became the patient he spent hours studying about and learning how to treat. For anyone that knows Sky, you’ll know he is full of positive energy. You’ll always find him dancing, singing, talking in accents, and making silly noises. His sense of humor is unmatched. If Sky is there, you know you are in for a good laugh. He is fun-loving, easy going and always has been down to earth. He enjoys the simple things in life, loves playing sports, snowboarding and traveling around the world with Caitlin, family and friends. Skyler’s story is not finished. Let’s lift him up so that he can become a future nurse and continue to contribute to the world in many more ways than he already has