After This Teen Was Diagnosed With Cancer, She Set Out To Help Other Sick Children
I am always inspired by people who can take a negative experience and use it to better themselves or the lives of those around them.
Teenager Grace Callwood from Maryland is one of those people. She has become a beacon of light for so many around the world through her inspirational charity work.
When she was only 7-years-old, Grace was diagnosed with cancer. She was told she had Stage IV non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
After her diagnosis, she had to stay in the hospital, where she looked around and saw a building full of kids in need that could use some kindness in their lives.
At the hospital, she met a pair of children who had lost all of their belongings in a house fire. Even though she was dealing with the chaos of getting treatment, she still wanted to help and gave the kids her new back-to-school clothes.
After that, she ignited a deep desire to do even more for people in need, not just in her local hospital but worldwide.
Grace founded We Cancerve Movement, an organization that, through donations, provides all sorts of opportunities and care for communities in need, especially communities full of young kids. The organization was founded in 2012, shortly after she was diagnosed.
In 2014, Grace completed her chemotherapy and has been cancer-free since. She’s healthy enough to continue to help others.
The We Cancerve Movement has supported around 26,000 children in not only states like Maryland, Delaware, and Ohio but other countries such as Kenya and Namibia.
DragonImages – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
The organization has provided around $300,000 worth of helpful supplies to hospitals, homeless shelters, transitional programs, feeding ministries, etc.
Because of her fantastic work at such a young age, Grace has received over $155,000 in global prizes and grants, which she puts right back into her organization.
Grace’s work does not stop at the We Cancerve Movement. In 2015, Grace created Camp Happy, a free summer camp for homeless children.
Camp Happy then expanded and opened transitional housing programs, a foster care group home, and La Magnifique Boutique, a boutique offering free full services. The boutique provides shoes, clothes, and accessories to those living in foster care groups.
In 2020, Grace was named one of the Hormel Foods 20 Under 20 Inspiring Young Food Heroes, which she was able to add to her long list of honors and awards. She most certainly deserves it!
Today, Grace is 18-years-old. As she continues to create programs that will provide goodwill and happiness to others, Grace is waiting to hear back from some colleges while working as a student page at the State House in Annapolis, Maryland.
“One of the most rewarding parts of We Cancerve is the impact it makes on all scales,” Grace said in an interview with CNN.
Grace has called herself “the happiness fairy,” and I’d say that is the perfect name for her!
You can read more about the We Cancerve Movement here.
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More About:Human Interest