I am a cancer survivor. To be specific, I survived neuroblastoma, and at that time, I was told I had a ten percent survival rate. But, through the restoration and healing of God, the expert team at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia and the love of my family and friends, I am better than ever. The cancer is gone but I continue to deal with the negative side effects that occurred from my life saving treatment of chemotherapy, radiation, thoracic surgery, and a bone marrow transplant. The cancer and treatment is old news, and instead, I acquired a relentless determination to pursue the things that are important and a better understanding of what truly is important and what is not worth my time.
As a childhood cancer survivor, I am in the unique position to understand the collateral damage that occurs with a cancer diagnosis. I also have some distinctive skills in the field of web technology and design and the close collaboration with my brother who is a computer science major. My brother and I are currently working on a nonprofit charity proposal that is inspired by the enormously popular Facebook phenomenon. This idea incorporates the social networking aspect of Facebook, but is solely utilized by children who have been diagnosed with cancer.
The collateral damage was my inspiration. Children with cancer often feel isolated and alone, often separated from friends and loved ones for long periods of time due to prolonged and frequent hospitalization, extended time out of school and a generalized feeling that no one really knows how they feel. Our proposal we hope to call Lifelinekids.org will offer an opportunity for children and teens that have cancer to reach out to each other.
I believe I serve as a role model due to the positive way in which I have been able to overcome my physical and learning obstacles. My high school classes are all academic courses, even though many counselors have encouraged me to drop to general classes due to my learning disability. I did not let my schoolwork suffer due to time spent in the hospital.
I include my love of God. To understand me, you should also understand my spiritual side. My favorite bible verses are about strength. “Greater is he who is in me, than he who is in the world”, and “I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me.”
As far as my aspirations, I am still a work in progress. I have a wide variety of interests, a great deal of compassion and empathy for those struggling, I am a self-driven individual, and I believe I will be successful in the things in which I have a true passion. I hope to inspire those I meet, causing them to appreciate their life and to remind them to pass it forward.
Sincerely,
Kurtis S. Wilson