I am here to explain why I am shaving my head for St. Baldericks. On October 11, 2003, I received a phone call at 10:15 pm from my mom. She was so upset that, at first, I was unable to understand what she was saying. Once she caught her breath, two words came out of her mouth: “Lauren; cancer.” Lauren is my niece and was 14 months old when she was diagnosed with Wilm’s tumor bilaterally. This form of cancer occurs in the kidneys, and she has the disease in both kidneys. She started chemotherapy immediately and on March 9, 2004, she had a left total and right partial nephrectomy. What this means is her left kidney and one-third of her right kidney were removed. She continued chemotherapy with her final treatment occurring on May 8, 2004, which was the day before Mother’s Day. Today, Lauren is seventeen years old who loves animals, art, and being an aunt. During this time, my sister got to meet many families that were in the same situation. Many of those people were not as fortunate as my family and lost their loved ones from this disease. I am shaving my head for my niece, my family, and the many other families that have endured this hardship in their lives.