Meet Keira
2026 Scholar
Leukemia Survivor
Thanks to a generous survivorship program grant from Hyundai Hope On Wheels, twenty-three survivors were welcomed into the 2026 Children’s Cancer Cause College Scholars Program, representing both organizations’ strong investment in survivors and belief in their bright futures.
Each of these students receive a financial scholarship to help with academic expenses, and each Scholar commits to undertaking a volunteer project of their choosing related to childhood cancer advocacy.
“Cancer will never define who I am, but this journey crystallized my why. The scars I carry on my body and soul will be my strength as I look forward to my future.”
Keira was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) when she was 12 years old.
“One moment I was planning my 13th birthday; the next, I was starting intensive chemotherapy,” Keira told us.
It was spring of 2021 and the world had just “reopened” after the pandemic. But not for Keira.
“For the next three years, I lived in isolation because of my weakened immune system, trapped between home and the hospital,” says Keira. “Cancer stole my 8th grade graduation and my first two years of high school with my friends.”
She battled a side effect after side effect. High-dose steroids caused drug-induced diabetes and a stay in the ICU. One chemo drug triggered a liver condition with a four-week hospital stay.
With a strong community behind her, she persevered. Today, Keira leads cancer awareness and fundraising campaigns, works with a nonprofit supporting youth mental health, and even founded a local small business. She plans to study business and economics at UCLA.
Keira’s Advocacy Project
Keira - who has experience as an author already - plans to write and publish a new picture book for her scholarship project.
“It’s designed to help children understand cancer in a compassionate, age-appropriate way, reminding them that bravery comes in many forms and that no one faces hard things alone,” says Keira. “I hope to make children feel seen, supported, and less afraid.”
She hopes to donate copies of her book to children’s hospitals, local schools, libraries, and community organizations.
“My hope is that this project becomes more than a story, and that it can become a reminder that courage comes in many forms. Sometimes it looks like resting, trying again, and letting others walk beside you.”
