Cancer Journey Shapes Passion by Julianna

Cancer Journey Shapes Passion by Julianna - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

Everybody has important dates they remember. Growing up, one hears their birthdate more times than they can count, permanently engraving it within their mind. The same goes for anniversaries, the birthdays of loved ones, and beloved holidays. Aside from these obvious ones, some people remember the date of an event that significantly altered their lives, changing them for better or for worse.

For me, the date is January 12th, 2010, the day I received my leukemia diagnosis. This marked the beginning of a physical and mental journey with the disease that would forever reshape my perspective on life.
Cancer doesn’t just challenge its victims physically and mentally, it inevitably provides a niche experience for those it impacts. This experience is riddled with hardships and pain, but beyond the struggle, the light at the end of the tunnel isn't just fewer needle pokes and hospital stays – it's about learning a profound lesson. Yet, this 'Cancer Lesson' isn't a one-size-fits-all narrative. Every patient will reflect on their experience differently and from there decide what they would like to do with life after cancer, whether it be great or small.
 
When I reflect on my cancer experience, I start to learn more about the person I hope to become. I realize that my admiration for the goodness of humankind and interest in medical sciences stems from my time in the hospital. Overhearing the doctor’s conversations about my health and the big words that I hoped to one day learn the meaning of made me more eager to understand the way the human body works. As I grew older, I developed an interest in the science my doctors were referring to and how it had the ability to save my life. Furthermore, the people and organizations who helped my family and me have made me more passionate about giving back to the community I was once a part of. This commitment is reflected through my active involvement in volunteering with organizations that once served me when I was a patient – such as the Casey Cares Foundation.

Volunteering with the Casey Cares Foundation opened my eyes to the life-changing impact health insurance had on my own family’s financial situation. For example, it played a critical role in helping my family save countless dollars, especially during a challenging period when my mother lost her job during my treatment. While volunteering with Casey Cares, I learned that access to healthcare is not universal. I have interacted with patients from diverse, low-income backgrounds, where many faced significant challenges accessing proper healthcare. Their stories uncovered heartbreaking scenarios about the struggle to afford basic necessities while their child was hospitalized due to lack of healthcare coverage. A specific, eye-opening moment came when I discovered that over twenty percent of individuals at the Baltimore City hospital where I received treatment did not have any health insurance.

Addressing the healthcare crisis within my community of cancer patients and beyond is a cause I am deeply passionate about. As an aspiring physician, I understand that my role extends beyond patient treatment. To create meaningful change in a healthcare system marked by inequalities, I have the responsibility to confront the social justice challenges that will arise in my daily work as a doctor.

Currently, I work towards combating these inequities through public speaking at nonprofit events and at my Cancer Awareness Club, where I share personal stories and anecdotes from patients facing socio-economic difficulties, aiming to inspire others to acknowledge the flaws in our healthcare system.

Cancer has sparked my passion for both medicine and public service. To pursue these interests, I plan to major in cellular and molecular biology and minor in social justice studies. The cellular and molecular biology degree will equip me with the academic foundation necessary for medical school and the MCAT, paving the way for my career as a physician. Social justice studies will allow opportunities that will make me more effective at combatting the problems associated within the medical field as well as making me a more understanding person and an empathetic physician. In the future, I hope to use the new insight I gain from my social justice degree and leadership skills to establish an organization dedicated to supporting underprivileged patients who do not have adequate access to healthcare.