Inspirational Stories

In November 2018, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). It's a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow that progresses very rapidly. When I was initially diagnosed, I believed my life was over. As a seventeen-year-old high school student attending school from a homeless shelter, going to bed hungry most nights, I considered dropping out to help my mother with my younger sister and brother. I couldn't fathom the financial burdens that would follow with medical treatment. I felt like the more I attempted to correct things, the worse they became. Most evenings, I cried myself to sleep because I felt defeated. In that hospital, I lost hope, sanity, and parts of myself until one day I chose to come to Jesus as a lost and broken soul. I prayed, asking God to help me through this and give me strength so that my life does not succumb to this sickness. With the support of God, my family, and Franklin County High School, I overcame my illness and battled harder to complete high school while undergoing treatment. In 2019, I was granted a second shot at life; I was cancer-free.

That was only the start of a new chapter in my life. I was accepted to Young Harris College and awarded a $18,000 academic scholarship. I knew it would still be expensive even with a scholarship, so I applied for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Scholarship and was overjoyed and thankful to be accepted. It seemed like God was saying, "You passed the test; now it's time to reap your reward," which I did. I'm here today as a survivor and the owner of Walker's Treats and Eats, a small catering business. I am also a junior in college majoring in Business Administration. My main goal is to inspire children in poverty and battling mental health issues to focus on the path to success. "It's not where you start but the journey to where you're going. Never let what's hurting you now overshadow what God has planned for you." I never thought I'd finish treatment; I did. I never thought I'd graduate high school; I did. I never thought I could go to college, now I'm closer to graduating and made the dean's list. Never say never, just give your best, God has the rest.