Ambassador Lauren Heads to Capitol Hill for Childhood Cancer Action Days
Today, 2014 Ambassador Lauren is among more than 300 childhood cancer advocates in Washington, D.C., fighting to make childhood cancer a national priority. Here’s what she wants Congress to know.
As I prepare to speak on Capitol Hill for Childhood Cancer Action Days, I can’t help but look back on my grueling journey with pediatric cancer.
St. Baldrick’s 2014 Ambassadors: A Year to Remember
2014 was a memorable year for St. Baldrick’s, with our volunteers raising over $4 million more than last year and funding a total of $27.2 million in research grants! As the year comes to a close, our 2014 Ambassadors reflect on the past year and how much YOU — the people who make the magic happen — mean to them.
Ambassador Lauren Completes Childhood Cancer Internship
During a unique internship with St. Baldrick’s Scholar Dr. Dean Lee, Ambassador Lauren ran experiments on her own blood, leveraging her childhood cancer battle to further research into a cure. Join Lauren in contributing to childhood cancer research.
Ambassador Lauren was able to study her own blood during her internship with St. Baldrick’s Scholar Dr. Dean Lee.
When Lauren was offered the chance at an internship with St. Baldrick’s Scholar Dr. Dean Lee, she never thought she’d be contributing her own blood to science. When Lauren found out, she was elated.
“I thought it was really cool,” she said.
Ambassador Lauren Watches ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ Film [Q&A]
The film “The Fault in Our Stars,” adapted from author John Green’s novel about two teens with cancer, has been making waves in theaters. We checked in with Ambassador Lauren, 16, who was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma at 14, to get her reactions to the movie.
Read 2013 Ambassador Emily’s reaction to the novel.
St. Baldrick’s Foundation Ambassador Lauren was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at age 14 and now has no evidence of disease.
Q: You recently saw “The Fault in Our Stars.” What were your thoughts about the film?
A: I really liked the movie and how it showed the good and bad sides of being a child with cancer. It showed what happens behind the scenes and the strong bond between cancer patients. Not just between Augustus and Hazel, but the relationships she forms with other characters. From my experience, bonds are formed that are inseparable even when you don’t get to know people for long.
A Mother-Daughter Bond Transformed by Childhood Cancer
Help cure childhood cancer. Fund research.
Sharing the bond of mother and daughter is beyond words. Ours was forming even before her birth. From the first of her movements in utero, I had dreams for her future and our life together.
My First St. Baldrick’s Event as an Ambassador
Help cure childhood cancer. Get involved.
Lauren, 16, is one of five 2014 St. Baldrick’s Foundation Ambassadors.
Back in June of 2012, I was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma, a type of cancer in children. I can recall the thoughts that went through my mind about losing my hair. I was 14 at the time and my appearance was one of my top priorities.
But I quickly realized that my health was much more important than my looks. I had no choice but to advance through chemotherapy and radiation, resulting in my hair falling out.
On the other hand, the high school students at Olympic Heights — both males and females — made the decision to lose their hair. These students did not care what rude remarks strangers would make. They felt a strong desire to assist other innocent children, even though they may not have been impacted firsthand by cancer.
Meet Lauren
Lauren is a 16-year-old honor student who loves to shop, dance, and play the viola. She has always had a passion for travel and for giving back to her community, and she spent the summer before her freshman year of high school touring Europe and volunteering at a local church summer camp. The following summer was quite different: Lauren was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma in June 2012 when she was 14 years old.
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