Finding the Cure for Life by Lindsey

Finding the Cure for Life by Lindsey - August 2017 Scholarship Essay

Finding a cure, and helping others find a cure are desires very personal to me. These are the reasons why if I was a college professor ,I would teach a biochemistry or genetics course.
Even before my birth, cancer has been a major part of my life. On July 17,1999, three months before I was born, my grandmother passed away from breast cancer. Her diagnosis and eventually death , led to many events years later that would change my life. Fast forwarding to 2010, my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. This heartbreaking diagnosis led to my mom getting a genetic test for the BRCA-2 gene. When present, this gene can create an eighty seven percent chance of having ovarian or breast cancer at some point in life. My mom , a very brave woman, underwent a life changing and painful double mastectomy in order to prevent cancer, and stay healthy for herself and her family. As a young twelve year old, I still remember the agony she went through. I also remember visiting her in the hospital, peeking into other rooms and empathizing with the heartbreaking emotions that other families went through. I felt their stress, pain, and tragic sadness. Luckily ,in both my mom’s and aunt’s cases, they both survived and are living happy lives.
Sadly, not all families get to experience the luck we experienced. I want to be a part of the process of finding cures and treatments for cancer because I want all families , even families diagnosed with cancer, to love life, and to experience bright futures. The opportunity to teach others this valuable knowledge that could change the world would fill my heart and other people’s hearts with so much love , hope , and happiness. These three values alone would change our world for the better.