Sarah T

My name is Sarah, I am 24 years old, and I am a thyroid cancer survivor. I had a recurrence of cancer growth last year, and I had my third surgery last September as a result. I am a rising third-year law student at UNC Law, which has been a challenging but fulfilling endeavor. I used to be a competitive tennis player with Division I goals, but I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at 17 during my recruiting summer and had two surgeries and radiation within the following year. In the end, I decided to go to UNC undergrad as a regular student and was on the club tennis team. I still play tennis for fun, and I am slowly re-learning how to play the guitar. I have a Goldendoodle (Golden Retriever / Poodle) named Pax, and I love playing with him, hanging out with friends, fishing, hiking, traveling, eating pizza, and writing.

One of the things I am most proud of is being a Youth Ambassador for Teen Cancer America, which works to help one of the most important and underrepresented causes in the country. Teens and young adults with cancer are in a unique and scary situation. As I felt when I was 17, many feel isolated, and unlike children and adults, treatment and recovery results for this group have remained almost stagnant. At a time when life is uncertain, you want to fit in with friends and begin starting a life of your own. A cancer diagnosis is devastating for anyone, but it is especially challenging for this age group. TCA is helping to bridge the gap between being a young person and being a cancer patient. It helps hospitals treat these people as their own separate group, giving them camaraderie and a feeling of not being alone in the fight. I have an amazing family and group of friends that have supported me throughout my life and especially through my cancer battle, and I am immensely thankful for them. Even still, I sometimes did feel alone and unlike other people my age. Some people do not have a support system as solid as the one I have, and while the work TCA does would have been great for me, it might be crucial for them. This cause is dear to my heart because I can see myself in the young people it helps, and I understand their loneliness and yearning to connect with others their age who understand.