How did I hear about Book for Hope? The story goes a little something like this. Everyone knows the most wonderful Gaylon Hayden, who reached out to my family and me through social media. We started talking and messaging than we quickly became friends. As we were messaging back and forth we were getting to know each other’s story. I am a cancer survivor and an advocate for kids like me, who are on their cancer journey. Gaylon is also a cancer survivor, she was telling us about an organization that she started called Book for Hope. When my family and I started learning about Book for Hope we saw all the amazing things this organization has done to help cancer-fighting kids. All the support through the events they do offer kids strength, joy, and hope. Gaylon invited me to speak at one of the Book for Hope events called “Just Imagine Walk”. This event had a great turn out, with fun activates and great sponsors. All of this benefited the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and a very special cancer-fighting warrior.
I am a cancer survivor, and when I was 11 years old I was diagnosed with brain cancer. To fight my cancer, I had to go through different treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, and even brain surgery. I was treated at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN. I absolutely love my hospital and I visit there to get checkups and to handle some after-effects of cancer. Now I am 15 years old, and I have been cancer free for over 3 years. I am a freshman in high school, a dancer, and being positive is my specialty. My mission is to change the face of pediatric cancer, and I do that by public speaking and fundraising.