Meet Kendal: 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.
Kendal’s Story
Kendal, a native of Loomis, California, was diagnosed with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma when she was just three months old.
When Kendal’s mom discovered a hard lump on her baby’s back thigh, doctors were puzzled. A biopsy confirmed it was an aggressive form of soft tissue cancer.
“I had a surgery to remove the tumor, which removed a large portion of my hamstring muscle,” Kendal says. But that wasn’t the end of it. “A CT scan revealed a grape-sized nodule on the lower part of my left lung, which was confirmed as sarcoma. I was moved from being classified as Stage 2 to Stage 4.”
As an infant, she underwent 42 weeks of chemotherapy and an additional surgery when more cancer cells were found behind her knee.
She’s been cancer-free since then, receiving regular check-ups and follow-up care. Kendal is planning to study biological sciences at University of California Santa Barbara.
“There remains a lack of understanding when it comes to childhood cancer. People hear the word ‘cancer’ and immediately feel fear or pity but they don’t realize what patients are going through, especially children, and what they can do to help.”
Kendal’s Advocacy Project
For Kendal’s volunteer project, she is organizing an educational workshop at either her local library or on campus, where all members of the community would be invited to come and learn about childhood cancer.