Being a child is fun in itself. But being a child who has been diagnosed with cancer is downright scary. According to the American Childhood Cancer Organization, each year in the United States, approximately 15,780 children between the ages of birth and 19 are diagnosed with cancer. Those numbers are very scary. Even though that is only a small portion of the United States, that is still 15,780 children's lives that are changed by one visit to the doctor. That number means that 1 in every 285 children will be diagnosed with cancer before their 20th birthday.

For some children, the battle with cancer is harder than others. July of 2016, a 6-year-old girl, Mya Grace, lost her battle with Burkitt Lymphoma. This is a type of cancer begins in immune cells called B-cells and can be difficult to treat. Mya will be missed by many.

Mya Grace is not the only child who battled cancer. Many youths across the United States of America are diagnosed with cancer and they all battle hard and long. Losing a child to cancer is hard. Not only for the families, but for the doctors and nurses. While these adolescents are taking chemotherapy treatments, the medical staff get close to them as in they grow to like the youth as well as know them a little better than most people.

When I was 14 years old, I had the honor of collecting over 80 teddy bears to take to Richland County Children's Hospital, and was able to donate the bears to all of the children who were undergoing chemotherapy at Christmastime. Once I did that, I knew that was where my heart is and that is the career I want to pursue. Oncology is dear to me, but pediatric care is as well, and putting them together is going to be the most amazing feeling ever.

I pray that each and every child diagnosed with cancer as a youth gets healed and continues to fight the hard battle, but know you are not alone!