My goal for the future is to become a Pediatric Oncology nurse. I chose pediatric oncology nursing because for the past 4 years, in addition to being a full-time high school student, I have been a full-time cancer warrior. In the past three years, I have also performed over 950 hours of volunteer service in our community working with kids who have cancer and working with preschool children as part of the Early Childhood Teacher Academy at Wlliam T. Dwyer High School.
I was diagnosed with a very aggressive Primitive Neuro-Ectodermal Tumor that had metastasized throughout my abdomen” I immediately began a full year of chemotherapy and also had a thirteen hour surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. After 13 months of treatment I was healthy enough to begin classes at Dwyer High School for the first time in the second semester of ninth grade. My volunteer service has provided me with an opportunity for my own growth and development. The majority of my volunteer hours have been working in local preschools with
children under the age of eight. I have loved the opportunity to help teach children and grow their minds. I have also volunteered with my American Sign Language class to teach sign language to children at an elementary school and put on a holiday show entirely in American Sign Language.
My most rewarding volunteer role began when I was on a day cruise as a cancer patient called Freedom Waters Foundation. I was invited to go on a yacht for an afternoon with my family and other pediatric cancer patients and their families. I was having a nice time, but I was bored I asked if I could play some music and I set out to get music going and get everyone dancing. I got out my iPhone, hooked it up to a speaker on board, and once we started dancing, everybody was happy, I’ve been a cruise director ever since. I am in charge of playing the music for the children and teaching them dances to the songs like the “Cupid Shuffle” and “The Macarena.”
The children really enjoy it and they live in the moment. Since I have survived cancer, it has given me a new perspective on life: don’t give up, anything is possible, and live each day as though it is my last day, I believe that kids with cancer need a nurse who knows what they’re going through to encourage them to stay strong. When I take care of them, they will know that there is an adult they can talk to who really does know how they feel. I plan to use my past experience$ to continue to help kids with cancer just like I have been doing since I finished my chemotherapy treatments. I feel that I will be able to continue to teach and inspire children to live their dreams even if their time here on Earth is short!
~~Riley