Guest Blogger: Kayla Perry, Founder of Open Hands Overflowing Hearts, on Raising Awareness and Funding Childhood Cancer Research

In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we’re honored to welcome Kayla Perry as a guest blogger. In the story below, Kayla discusses her personal battle with cancer, determination to live life to the fullest, and founding of Open Hands Overflowing Hearts, her organization to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research.

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On August 14, 2014, two days after moving into my dorm room at Auburn University, my oncologist told me the devastating news that my cancer had progressed. He told me that I needed to begin making plans to accomplish and experience what I wanted to should this cancer take my life. That afternoon I went to Target to finish shopping for my dorm. The next day I drove to Auburn University to start my much anticipated freshman year in college. I want to be a college student. I want to study, learn, and attend classes. I want to graduate from Auburn with a nursing degree and be a nurse practitioner in pediatric oncology. That’s what I want to accomplish and experience in life.

I also want an end to pediatric cancer, the disease that has consumed my life for over 16 months, since I was diagnosed with high risk stage 4 neuroblastoma in April 2013. I was 18 years old and looking forward to starting college that fall. Instead, I’ve spent months in the hospital having poison pumped through my veins. The pink puke bucket and I have had much too close of a relationship. I spent 7 days behind lead walls, with no human touch while my entire body received a very intense radiation. I’ve watched babies, children, and young adults like myself go through the same thing, losing their hair, their muscle mass to where they can’t even walk, and some have even lost their lives to this horrible disease. I will do anything I can to end childhood cancer.

Because of my latest prognosis, I am now on a research study at Children’s Hospital in Atlanta. Every third week I go to my pre-nursing classes in the morning and my mom drives me to Atlanta for chemo treatments in the afternoon. I spend the four hours in the car each day those weeks studying and listening to lectures that my professors record for me when I miss class for treatments. I am determined to do whatever it takes to stay in school and fight this cancer as hard as I can. I’m already a year behind starting my college career, and I don’t want to wait any longer to pursue my hopes and dreams. Although I was told that my cancer will most likely not be cured, I am under no obligation to be realistic. Like my dad keeps telling me, “nothing great ever happened because someone was being realistic.” I believe he heard that from Will Smith.

And, because cancer sucks and because I am passionate about childhood cancer research, I have launched a non-profit foundation called Open Hands Overflowing Hearts. We call it OHOH for short! Our focus is to raise awareness and funding for childhood cancer research. Childhood cancer research is severely underfunded, and I will do anything to change that. In just 5 days we’ve raised over $25,000 and have a goal of $100,000. Our online campaign called #100Ways100Days has taken off in ways that I couldn’t have expected and I couldn’t be happier.

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My name is Kayla Perry, I am 19 years old and I will do anything to end childhood cancer. What will you do to help me in my quest to end childhood cancer? There is only so much I can do alone, but together I know that we can make a difference.

Please read my latest blog post and watch the

www.openhandsoverflowinghearts.org
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