Honored Kid

Sarah R

Age 22
Sarah R Kid Photo

Location

Redmond, WA, US

Diagnosis

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)

Date of Diagnosis

April 2008

Status

Cancer-free

Treated At

Seattle Children's Hospital

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My Story

In 2008 when my 6 ½ yr. old daughter Sarah was diagnosed with ALL (Leukemia), I kept asking her to come with me and we could get our heads shaved. I told her that she could shave my head but she said no. She wanted to keep her hair as long as possible and she liked to play with my hair. We would lay down and I would hold her and she would play with it. When she started to lose her hair I would secretly gather her hair and hide it until I could get to a garbage can. It was funny the places I would find on myself/purse to hide it until I could find a garbage can. Unfortunately the stress of everything got to me and every time I got up I found a ton of my hair. I started obsessing over it. I would have to drag myself away from the mirror almost crying thinking ‘what man would want an ugly single bald parent.’ This lasted for a while until one day at Target. Sarah was about to go back to school. She only had a few wisps of hair left. We were there to buy a bunch of hats for her to wear. As we were leaving, I watched her walk out of that store with her head held high. Everyone was staring but she did not care. It was on that day that I had a light bulb moment and realized how vain I was being. I realized in that moment that it’s about life and saving my little girl and not about my silly vanity. My baby girl, without any words just actions, helped me grow up that day. Sarah is now cancer free and a powerhouse. She is my hero. I shaved my head to bring awareness to cancer research and firmly believe that there will be a future where the only place you will hear about cancer is in a history book.

The Childhood Cancer Ripple Effect

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