Meet Genesis: 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.

Genesis’s Story

Genesis was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 15, an experience that’s shaped his adolescence in so many ways.

*Leading up to my diagnosis of a germinoma, I was facing many health problems including terrible migraines, insomnia, loss of motor control, paralysis, ice pick headaches, and cerebral nerve palsy,” he told us. He was immediately taken into surgery, followed by ten long days in the ICU on strict bed rest.

Then came chemo and radiation: hair loss, nausea, and extreme fatigue.

“I finished treatment four days before my 16th birthday,” Genesis says, remembering ringing the bell to celebrate remission and begin the recovery process. “While I still face some challenges from having cancer, I am grateful for the treatment and the reminder to myself that I am able to keep moving forward.”

An Ohio native, he’s currently studying political science and psychology at the University of Cincinnati and is very involved in campus life and volunteering with local youth.

Genesis’s Advocacy Project

“During my battle with cancer and recovery period, my faith and music were crucial for maintaining my mental health,” Genesis said. “The power of expression through music allowed me to release negative feelings and process my emotions. This experience inspired my advocacy project - Sounds of Healing.”

Genesis envisions Sounds of Healing as a music therapy program that helps young cancer patients work through their feelings and experiences through a creative outlet.

His goal is to launch a pilot program with a small group of patients that includes workshops from local musicians and support groups from clinicians. He also hopes to spread public awareness and educate the community about the benefits of music therapy for childhood and adolescent cancer patients and survivors.