Patrick E

My name’s Patrick. I was first attacked by the cancer monster – Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia – when I was 17 years old. I beat the monster, it turned into a ghost, and it has haunted me ever since. Fast-forward 16 years later, and I’m still here, working hard to maintain a full, fun, and loving family – and the ghost of that monster hasn’t seemed more distant than today.

I’ve been advocating for Teen Cancer America (TCA) since I first heard about them, about six years ago. The things they’re doing to connect Teens and Young Adult (TYA) patients to facilities and resources (that cater to their age group) is something I could have benefited from in my experience. TCA helped me face the cancer ghost and beat it back into an afterthought. Everything they has done to help me heal is everything I hope everyone else can receive, should they ever have to face the monster.