First impressions can be deceiving — especially in the case of Amanda. Beneath this polite 16-year-old’s reserved demeanor, there’s a wicked sense of humor — just ask her Chemo Pal, Christina. “She’s so funny,” she said. “The text messages I get from her are hilarious!”

From the start, Phoenix was a lesson in finding the bright spots amongst seemingly insurmountable challenges. “On July 1st, 2007, after 36 hours of labor and an eventual urgent C-section, Phoenix came into our lives smiling,” shared his mother, Rebecca.

Before cancer, Lyla was like any other young girl. She loved puzzles, baking, painting and reading books about her favorite characters. But the trajectory of her life changed when she became increasingly sick.

Kira is a bright and thoughtful young lady with a great sense of humor and obvious love for her mother, Sara, father, Chris, and younger brother, Thomas. She also enjoys reading romance books (“not cheesy romance novels”) and has a passion for school. So, when Kira was told she had to stay at the hospital for testing and eventually treatment for Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), she was understandably disappointed that she wouldn’t be returning to school.

Just try keeping up with Weston. This fun-loving little guy loves to hike, explore, and fly kites. He’s also particularly fond of cheesy bread, strawberry ice cream, and his baby brother, Reid.

Five-year-old Hannah is an intuitive, lively little girl who loves her dad’s pizza, the color pink, and playing with the neighbor kids — especially cops and robbers.

In 2018 you invested more in the community than ever before. With your help, Children’s Cancer Association (CCA) provided world-class programs to children and teens in the hospital and explored the future of joy in healthcare. 2018 was the year we decided transforming a moment isn’t enough – we need to transform the entire experience.

Football season had just finished when D.J,’s headaches began. The high school senior thought it was just a bad cold, but it turned out to be something far more serious—a brain tumor. In less than a week, his whole world changed. “I went from being a regular student excited about winter break to ‘Oh hey, you have cancer,’” he said.

Paris is an energetic 13-year-old with a caring heart and courage to spare. In fact, this adventurous girl has already been parasailing, horseback riding, and cage diving with sharks. “I guess you could say I’m pretty fearless,” she laughed.

Two days after my daughter’s second birthday, I was handed a teddy bear and told by a doctor, “I’m sorry, it looks like Heaven has blood cancer.” I hate that bear.

Seventeen-year-old November CCA Hero Dawson doesn’t speak much, but his giant smile says it all. This good-natured guy has had to face a number of medical challenges, including diabetes, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and pulmonary hypertension. A bad bout of pneumonia last year lead to full sepsis throughout his body and Dawson has been battling his way back ever since.

Brutally honest and openly passionate, former Chemo Pal George Yioulos, doesn’t hold back when talking about the people he loves. His gregarious personality can be jarring to some, but he has the knack for making everyone feel like a close friend, and it’s clear that he is genuinely kind and caring.

Lyla is a charming four-year-old with a smile that’s just as big as her personality. She loves painting, doing puzzles, baking, and reading books about her favorite characters.

The very first thing everyone notices about Emme is her infectious giggle. Her laughter is given freely, and she jokes with everyone she meets as if they were good friends. She’s been known to break out in song spontaneously and doesn’t even care if she knows the words. She’s just happy to sing out loud and proud! “She just has a special spirit inside,” says mom Nicole. For this and many other reasons, Emme was honored as a 2013 CCA Hero.

Seven-year-old Danielle has a hero in her life—someone she looks up to when her medical challenges seem too tough to face. Who is it? “ME!” she proclaimed. “I’m my own hero because I’m brave and I’m strong and I’m fearless.”

Continuously surprising and astounding us with their generosity, volunteers are the backbone of the Children’s Cancer Association (CCA), helping our programs to run smoothly and providing top-notch event experiences.

Ten-year-old Hayden is a poised, polite young lady who is wise beyond her years. She loves art, reading, classical music, her mom’s snickerdoodles, and climbing in the trees around her house.

Catlin is easy-going, an all-around sports fan and always ready to make a joke. He’s also a police officer, serving the area of West Linn. His job requires him to face intense situations and he often sees people during their lowest moments. Despite so much experience, nothing prepared Catlin for both the joys and sorrows of being a Chemo Pal Mentor.

Princess alert! Emma Baker is a sparkly girl with a passion for pink and all things princess related. She’ll eagerly sing at the top of her lungs upon request, and even throw in a few twirls for good measure.

Wendy is an enthusiastic volunteer in the Children’s Cancer Association’s Chemo Pal Mentor Program. When she retired in 2014, volunteering was a priority and working directly with people facing cancer was near and dear to her heart.