Victoria Boals of New Albany, Ohio, was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer - a tumor the size of a golf ball on her brain stem - when she was a freshman in high school.

“For me, getting through high school was similar to scaling a vast mountain range. It seemed like after overcoming each challenge, a new obstacle would immediately present itself,” says Victoria. And she wasn’t done climbing mountains: her tumor began to grow again during her freshman year of college. The surgery was aggressive and recovery has been agonizingly slow.

Today - three years post-surgery - Victoria is a full-time university student pursuing a degree in neuroscience.

Victoria is a 2021 Children’s Cancer Cause College Scholar. As a member of our College Scholars Program, she has launched her own podcast: “Finding the Light Inside of the Tunnel.” Her weekly podcast episodes are approximately 10 minutes long and offer stories of perseverance, pain and loss, and healing and recovering.

“Even though cancer is undeniably gruesome and terrible, through this podcast, I hope to put a more uplifting spin on the fight against childhood cancer and the pathway from darkness into the light.”

Kirstie Walters, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma when she was 18 years old.

Kirstie saw her cancer diagnosis as a new beginning and maintained a positive outlook throughout her treatment. She completed two online courses while undergoing treatment and went on to excel in her undergrad career after being declared cancer-free.

“I plan on becoming a pediatric hematologist/oncologist myself, inspired by my care team and my journey. I want to help other kids overcome their cancer diagnoses with a positive outlook on life,” says Kirstie. She plans to attend Florida State University’s College of Medicine, starting in the summer of 2021.

Kirstie started a medical blog during her cancer treatment, as a way of sharing her experiences and inspiring others in a similar situation. She updated her blog in May 2021 after becoming a Children’s Cancer Cause College Scholar. Kirstie most enjoys connecting one-on-one with newly-diagnosed teens who have questions or just want to talk.

Click “Connect with Kirstie” to be taken to her site, where you can read her latest blog post and contact her directly.

Rachel McCallum is a long-term survivor diagnosed with Anaplastic Astrocytoma of the 4th ventricle of the brain stem in 1993. Her experience as a long-term survivor has encouraged her to become an advocate for others like herself who have struggled with the transition from pediatric patient to independent adulthood.

In the spring and summer of 2021, Rachel joined us as a guest blogger for a 12-part series on the Children’s Cancer Cause blog. We thank Rachel for using her voice to shine a very personal spotlight on some of the unique challenges and obstacles she has encountered as a long-term survivor. Her posts delved into complex and compelling topics, including disability rights, barriers to care, and systemic inequalities.

“One of the most important aspects of my burgeoning career is helping other pediatric cancer survivors transition into independent adulthood through whatever means I can. This includes advocacy, support, and individual consultation. I greatly appreciate the opportunity given to me by the Children’s Cancer Cause team to use this blog as a platform to tell my survivorship story. I’ll be telling my story in bits and pieces because there are a lot of often-overlooked points that I’d like to make sure policymakers and the general public are aware of…”