Meet Ella: 2024 Scholar
Our College Scholars receive a financial scholarship to help with academic expenses, and each scholar commits to undertaking a volunteer project of their choosing related to childhood cancer advocacy, with support and mentorship from the Children's Cancer Cause team.
Ella’s Story
Ella, an Iowa native, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when she was four years old.
“While memories from those early days are scarce, the unwavering support from my parents, grandparents and friends remains vivid,” Ella told us. “Their comforting presence during treatments turned clinical settings into spaces filled with camaraderie and shared laughter, transforming waiting rooms into places of solace and creativity.”
Ella speaks fondly about art therapy and bonding with her brother during treatment. But sometimes things will trigger an unpleasant memory. Just the idea of receiving medication in an injectable form makes her dizzy and sometimes faint. Three years of treatment - and a lifetime of careful health maintenance - has shaped Ella into who she is today.
“Rooted in early memories of arts and crafts, the support of loved ones, and my brother's laughter, this journey has shaped my past and will undoubtedly influence future pursuits,” she says.
Ella will be starting college at Iowa State University in the fall of 2024 with plans to study biomedical engineering.
“I’m someone who has weathered storms and emerged resilient, ready to seize every opportunity that life presents.”
Ella’s Advocacy Project
Because art therapy helped Ella so much during her own treatment, she plans to launch an “Art for Healing” program for her volunteer project.
For this initiative, Ella plans to collaborate with a local college art department and the child life specialist at her local hospital to create simple, age-appropriate art kit for kids in treatment. She hopes to bring college art students in for student-led sessions with the kids and to create an online showcase of artwork to help raise awareness about childhood cancer and the positive impact of art on healing.
We’ll update this space when there’s artwork to share!