D.J. completed treatment last month and is starting to reclaim the life that cancer forced him to put on hold. He spent his spring break in Mexico —not working on his tan but helping build houses for families in need with his church youth group. He’s working hard to get his strength back and discovering new ways to be physically active during his recovery.

Like most high school seniors, D.J. had big ambitions for his last year of school—spending time with friends, applying for college, celebrating graduation…but life had other plans for him. Right after football season, D.J. started getting sharp headaches.

11-year-old Chrystalyn is a polite and poised young lady who loves a good DIY project. She’s constantly whipping up her very own custom-scented soaps and perfumes, and even has a secret formula for colorful slime.

When Bill Grange walks into the Children’s Cancer Association (CCA), he greets just about everyone in the office on a first name basis. He’s easy-going, understanding, and a great conversationalist. He loves his job as a Portland realtor and finds joy in golfing, music, gardening, and his family. He’s also a CCA Chemo Pal extraordinaire, having been matched with five Chemo Pals over the past eleven years.

Teri and Brock have been married for 15 years and have two children, eleven-year-old Jack and six-year-old Oliver. The family considers themselves fortunate in many ways. They enjoy traveling, all things outdoors and are dedicated Star Wars fans. But Teri and Brock are no strangers to hardship. Four years ago, Teri was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, completely changing their family’s day-to-day life.

His name is Blake, but you can call this adorable four-year-old Blakey Jo. Blake is an outdoorsy guy who loves digging in the dirt, blowing bubbles, driving his toy truck, and chasing his two big brothers every chance he gets.

Sarai is quiet and shy at first, but when she finally breaks into a radiant smile, it’s well worth the wait. The best way to get her to open up is to make animal noises, something her Grandpa Jorge just happens to be very good at. “She adores animals, especially horses,” he explained.

At the Children’s Cancer Association (CCA), we are filled with gratitude for our incredibly passionate community of supporters in the Portland area. There’s no shortage of people who truly believe that joy matters, especially to seriously ill children and teens.

Alfredo is a friendly, well-spoken 14-year-old with a serious comedic streak and courage to spare. He’s also a huge fan of wrestling. While he loves challenging his little brother Ivan to friendly matches on the family trampoline, these days he is saving his all strength to fight spindle cell sarcoma. “But don’t worry,” grinned Ivan, “we’re going to have a rematch as soon as we can.”

There are special people in life that bring happiness with them wherever they go. Two-year-old Sol is one of those people. Named 2017 CCA Hero for the month of August, Sol’s life facing high-risk stage IV Neuroblastoma hasn’t been easy, but she’s handled everything with incredible strength.

The day after Sol’s first birthday, her parents, Andy and Ruth, learned that she had a growing, low-risk mass in her adrenal gland. She soon had surgery to remove it, but not long after her tumor returned. This time it was the size of a baseball, wrapped around several organs, and it was high-risk. Before they knew it, Sol was in the operating room again, and one week later she received her first dose of chemotherapy.

Over the last year, the Children’s Cancer Association (CCA) has provided service to over 28,000 seriously ill children and their family members. Ruth Zuniga and Andy Soria, along with their little girl Sol, were one such family. Originally from Costa Rica, Andy and Ruth moved to the US to pursue their PhDs and had decided not to have children. However, their little “ray of sunshine,” Sol, had other plans.

Six-year-old Otto “Otto-bot” Stuckman knows a thing or two about heroes. He’s a huge fan of superheroes like the Green Lantern (“He’s got a power ring!”), The Flash (“He’s so fast!”), and Cyborg from Teen Titans (“He has a blaster!”).

Growing up not too far from Oregon in Wenatchee, Washington, Dustin received his undergrad in Sport Management and master’s in Business Administration from Union University in Tennessee. Oregon was always on his radar and in 2012 he decided to move to Portland. When he’s not making people laugh in the office, Dustin enjoys snowboarding and hiking.

Emily “Emz” Pulis is a strong, independent 16-year-old with an infectious grin and a powerful hug. While she may seem quiet at first, it’s not long before she starts cracking jokes and looking for ways to make you smile.

Ayden is a bright, sweet 14-year-old, who has a deep passion for the Seattle Seahawks. When Ayden was one-year-old, he contracted Pneumococcal Bacteremia and sepsis. When his kidney did not recover, he was placed on dialysis for three years until he received a kidney transplant.

Sol is the perfect name for this two-year-old ray of sunshine. Sol loves petting farm animals, pretending to be a dinosaur, blowing bubbles with her Chemo Pal, Emily, and her rubber boots.

It’s said William Shakespeare first penned the phrase “I will wear my heart upon my sleeve,” but Eileen Shattuck took it to the next level when she tattooed the Children’s Cancer Association’s heart logo on her arm. We are incredibly grateful to Eileen for her support of CCA and inspired to know someone who has so much love and dedication for a cause that we all hold close to our hearts.

The Children’s Cancer Association’s (CCA) “One Day. One Friend.” is an annual, online, peer-to-peer fundraiser that helps fund matches for our award-winning Chemo Pal Mentor Program. This program provides children and teens with a caring, trusted, adult friend to look forward to during treatments, and someone in their corner when they need it most. This year, 22 Chemo Pal Mentors and CCA volunteers shared personal stories about their experiences with CCA and asked their friends and family to support a cause they care deeply about. Together, they raised over $20,000!

What inspires Monse? The brilliant colors of the sunset. As a budding photographer, this creative 16-year-old likes capturing the pinks, purples, and blues that she loves so much. She also enjoys painting, exploring new places, and playing the ukulele.