I knew an incredible kid once, and his name was Gonzalo. He was one of the nicest, most down-to-Earth teenagers I've ever met, and since he was a little bit older than me, it wasn't so hard for me to start looking up to him after knowing him for only a short time. I'd say the fondest memory I have of him comes back to my first and last trip to Chile, where he lived with two amazing parents and siblings who loved him deeply. Only a day after I met him, he lent me the controller to his PlayStation 2 console and said "Knock yourself out", with a small smile on his face. It was his room, his privacy, and his video game console, and yet he temporarily sacrificed all three just so I could feel comfortable in his home.

He treated me like family, yet he barely knew who I was.

Gonzalo passed away before turning 17 years old. A malign tumor had been growing in his lower body for some time, and it was identified and treated too late. Could this have been prevented? Perhaps if there had been a greater wealth of research about it.

With that, I need your help! Will you make a donation? Every dollar makes a difference for the thousands of infants, children, teens, and young adults fighting childhood cancers. Gonzalo may have lost the battle, but in his memory, we will win the war.