Faith Hope and Love Jesus.org

Raising awareness about childhood blood disorders,

cancers, bone marrow donation, and survivorship

 



Faith Hope And Love Jesus, Inc.
P.O. Box 2493
Woodstock, GA 30188

ph: 678-994-2839 'office on the go'
alt: 678-778-0207

info@faithhopeandlovejesus.org

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Meet Our 2019 College Scholarship Essay Winner

We have a winner!!  We are pleased to announce our college scholarship essay winner.  And the winner is... BENJAMIN IRISH 

  •                          The Winning Essay

           

         My story is a unique one and one that should be shared.  It is a story filled with Faith Hope and Love.  My story started at the age of three.  I began having difficulty breathing and the doctors thought I had asthma.  When my condition worsened, they sent me for an x-ray and to see if I had swallowed something, and it was stuck in my throat.  The results came back before we even left the radiologist.  My parents were informed that I had a large mass in my chest, and that I must immediately go to Arnold Hospital for Children in Orlando. 

     

         After many test, biopsies, and scans it was finally determined that I had T-cell lymphoma.  They used radiation on my chest to help me breath.  The radiation got rid of the tumor in my chest.  It was a miracle.  My cancer was gone.  Then one month later, my parents got the news that the tumor grew back in my stomach, chest, kidneys and other places in my body.  I had stage 4 cancer, and they immediately began aggressively treating me with chemotherapy. 

     

         For two years, they put me through countless surgeries, scans, and treatments to try to save my life.  My mom said at two points during the treatment I almost died.  The prayers and support my family gave me during this time got me through it. 

     

         As if cancer wasn't enough, the doctors found out that I had a heart condition.  My coronary artery was in the wrong spot and it snaked between my aorta and pulmonary vessel.  I had to be put on a strict activityless lifestyle.  They didn't know how much activity would be too much before I had a heart attack.  They couldn't treat me for this at the time because of the chemotherapy.  They had to wait until I was 10 years old and in remission.  I had open heart surgery in 2010 to repair my heart.  The doctors told my parents that my cancer saved my life.  If the doctors had not been looking at my body so meticulously for cancer, they would have never found out that I had a heart problem before it was too late.  This taught my family to have Faith.  Jesus has a plan for everything.

     

         Finally, after 7 and a half years I could finally be a boy.  My cancer and treatments took a toll on my body, and I will live with side effects for the rest of my life.  Even today at age 18 my life is filled with doctors and specialists treating me for the effects of my cancer.

     

         My ordeal showed me how much I was loved and cared for by my family and community.  People who met me or heard my story would give my parents money or prayers to help us through it.  The town I lived in held fund raisers for my surgeries and care.  One time we came home from a long stay in the hospital to find that volunteers had planted beautiful flowers and plants in our yard to try to make us feel better.  The Love made us stronger.

     

         All students in my county are required to do community service hours.  I wanted to make sure that I tried to return the favor for all the support I was given by going above and beyond in my community service.  I have spent more than 300 hours volunteeering at local elementary schools, churches, and the community soccer league.  At the elementary schools, I help the teachers with jobs, and I work with groups of students. 

     

         I won the Volunteer of the Year Award in 2018 for the District of Indian River County in the teen division for my work at the schools.  At my church, I have been altar serving monthly at the weekly masses since I was 8 years old.  At the soccer league, I volunteer coach young players on a team.  I also have been a part of local blood drives to get more people to donate blood.  I had multiple blood transfusions during my treatment, and I know the importance of having enough blood in our blood banks.  I also collect aluminum can tops to donate to the Ronald McDonald House.  They recycle them and use the money to help families like mine, be able to stay for free or for small amounts of money when their children are in the hospital. 

     

         I know I am destined to do something great in my life.  My childhood taught me the importance of hard work, perserverance and having goals.  I love computers and all types of technology.  I want to go to college to get a master's degree in computer engineering.  I Hope that I might be able to invent some type of technology that might help cancer patients or the field of medicine.  I know that is not the only thing I will do for my life, but I recognize that I will need a good education to get there.  Your scholarship could help make that possible for me and my family.  Please consider me for the Faith, Hope and Love Jesus Scholarship.  I am a survivor in more ways than one.  I want to make my life worth all the trouble my doctors, nurses, and family went through to save it.  

     

    Benjamin Irish FAQ:

     

    1. What school are you attending?

    I am currently enrolled at Indian River State College.  I am halfway through my AAS because I was dual enrolled.

     

    2. What is your major?

    My major is Automotive Engineering.  I have been obsessed with cars for a long time.

     

    3. What are your interests and hobbies?

    I enjoy working on and building my car in my spare time.  I also like to go fishing on nice days. 

     

    4.  What plans do you have after you graduate?

    I plan to work for an automotive repair shop and to be able to afford to build multiple cars so that I can race them professionally.

     

    5.  Share whatever you would like about who Bejamin Irish is.

    Even though I have been through a lot with my cancer, I have still pushed forward and achieved many things.  I hope to inspire people to not give up and that when life seems rough you can get through it.   

A Word From Our

Executive Director

 

     It is my great pleasure to announce that Benjamin Irish is our 2019 college scholarship essay winner. 


     CONGRATULATIONS Benjamin!  You are an inspriation with your humble and thankful spirit.  We could all use a daily dose of these qualities.

    

     There's one sentiment that resonated from the committee this year - "This was by far the hardest judging year ever."  I can concur with them as I joined the committee for 2019.  After nearly a decade of awards, I thought I was ready and could handle reading the stories in voices that remind me of myjoey's journey.  I went from weeping to tearing up and back again.  One of our long-standing members stated she was "ugly-crying."


     With that said, we continue to be immensely humbled, honored, and blessed to live this role of serving these amazing young men and women each year.  We hit a bit of a milestone with 58 essays so please stop by the blog anytime for inspirational reads as we post 1 per month.  However, we will be adding a second monthly essay instead of one due to the ever-increasing participation.


     CONGRATULATIONS! once again to Benjamin Irish. My prayer is that you continue to walk your path in your humble and thankful way.  Many blessings!



                                    ~~Marsha      



Meet Our 2019 College Scholarship Essay Winner...Benjamin Irish


 

Copyright 2010-2022 Faith Hope And Love Jesus, Inc. All rights reserved. Faith Hope and Love Jesus, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and your donations are tax deductible.    

 

 

  

      

                
                   

       
                                

                                            

Faith Hope And Love Jesus, Inc.
P.O. Box 2493
Woodstock, GA 30188

ph: 678-994-2839 'office on the go'
alt: 678-778-0207

info@faithhopeandlovejesus.org