Meet Hannah: 2023 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.
Hannah’s Story
Hannah was diagnosed with osteosarcoma when she was 10 years old.
“I went from an active ten-year-old to a cancer patient with no hair in about three weeks,” Hannah told us. “The entire treatment regimen would take anywhere from ten to twelve months to complete and involved a limb salvage surgery.”
Hannah lost so much weight during treatment that she needed a feeding tube and IV nutrition. She was at risk for breaking a leg if she walked at all while undergoing chemotherapy and recovering from surgery, so she needed physical therapy after treatment ended to regain leg strength. It was about a year and a half after her diagnosis before she was able to walk again unassisted.
Once she was healthy again, she began participating in local charity events to give back to the community and help other kids in need.
A native of Avon, Connecticut, she is studying business at the University of Hartford.
Hannah’s Advocacy Project
For her scholarship volunteer project, Hannah created a resource document for childhood cancer families in New England that includes information on summer camps, scholarship, and other local resources.
“Cancer was an extremely difficult road and I would never want to go through it again but I do believe it has made me a more compassionate and stronger person.”
