CANCER SURVIVORS ENDURE.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: JAY JOCHNOWITZ Staff writer

By any standards, Jasmine Johnson has had a tough five years.

Diagnosed with leukemia 4 1/2 years ago, she underwent 2 1/2 years of chemotherapy, enduring the sickness that comes with the treatment as she dreamed of getting better.

For the last two years, it was thought the disease was in remission, but several weeks ago her fever shot up one night, and now she's facing a new battery of tests.

All that, for a girl who is only 6.

"I wasn't like regular kids," she said.

The disease attacks her immune system and leaves her vulnerable to illness. She's had sore throats, fevers, and heart problems. Her aunt, Dale Gersch, who has been spending time with the girl to give her parents some time to raise their other 11 children, said Johnson could sense …