Honored Kid

Grace Dirks

Age 23
Grace Dirks Kid Photo

Location

Baton Rouge, LA, US

Diagnosis

Brain or spinal cord tumor

Date of Diagnosis

May 2006

Status

Cancer-free

Treated At

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital

Change your kid's logo

My Story

I was diagnosed at 5 years old in May 2006 with anaplastic ependymoma (grade III) after I started having headaches. I had a surgery in which they were able to completely resect the tumor followed by 2 months of radiation therapy. I was able to return to 1st grade that August and now I'm in my first year of medical school. My journey fighting cancer brought me to a place in life where I will be able to help other kids and families affected by disease. I want to make sure all kids have the chance to live their dreams because it is a wonderful gift. This year I have been able to participate in fundraising for St. Baldrick's through LSUHS's Geaux Bald organization. I served at the co-representative for 1st year medical students and volunteered at the event. My class of medical students ended up raising the most between the 2 classes and we had lots of participation on Shave Day. It is through research that the medical field moves forward. I hope that through my efforts new and better treatment methods can be found to save lives and minimize both short and long term side effects.

The Childhood Cancer Ripple Effect

Who's Honoring Me

Help Give Kids a Lifetime

Infants, children, teens and young adults are depending on us to find cures for childhood cancers — and to give survivors long and healthy lives.

Support lifesaving childhood cancer research today.

Photo submission policy

Please read the photo submission policy and accept below.

By submitting a photograph of yourself on www.StBaldricks.org, you agree to the following terms and conditions for submission of your photograph:

We strongly encourage all users to submit a before and after photo, so that donors and fellow participants can easily recognize and relate to one another.

Any photo containing cartoons, comics, celebrities, nudity, pornography, sexually explicit images or any copyrighted image (unless you own the copyright) is not permitted. This is because photos of celebrities and cartoon or comic images are generally copyrighted by the owner.

Uploading images of other people without their permission is also prohibited.

This photo submission policy applies to StBaldricks.org users. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation reserves the right to review all photos and to remove any photo for any reason at our sole discretion. If you see a photo on StBaldricks.org that you believe does not conform to this policy, email to WebQuestions@StBaldricks.org