Meet 2021 Scholar Moira

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.

Moira’s Story

Moira, of Yakima, Washington, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia when she was 15 years old.

“When I look back to my days in the hospitals, things were pretty dreary and bleak. I was very isolated and alone, especially being a young adult patient who wasn’t quite so comforted or entertained by the childish animal imagery that coated the walls and floors,” recalls Moira. “One of the things that got me through my treatment was art.”

Even after her treatment ended, creating art continued to motivate and inspire Moira. She began creating cards for the kids at Seattle Children’s, where she was treated. She designs and edits her own artwork, professionally prints them into cards, and handwrites messages of hope to the children in each card.

“It still didn’t feel like enough,” Moira says. “These children were facing one of the hardest trials that life could throw at them. So I thought for a bit and put together candy bags with individually packaged treats - to protect their little immunocompromised hearts. My mom and I drove over the mountains and delivered them in a giant box to the hospital with time to quarantine so they could be handed out on Christmas.”

Moira plans to study Elementary Education at Valparaiso University.

Moira’s Advocacy Proposal

Moira’s College Scholars project is focused around bringing her self-designed cards to more children with cancer spending holidays in the oncology ward.

“I was fortunate enough to not be in the hospital for any major holidays but most kids aren’t so lucky,” says Moira. “Just because it seems like there are some days where the world just stops and families are together, not everyone can have that.”

Moira is turning her artwork into premade card designs and creating a website where people can download and print them, to be delivered to their nearest children’s hospital along with goodie bags.

I want to create a way for people to take active steps to support their local community of childhood cancer patients — beyond “thoughts and prayers.”