Meet Lily
2026 Scholar
Teratoma 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.
Lily was 12 years old when doctors discovered a 12-pound tumor. It was an Immature Metastatic Teratoma, and the cancer had spread to multiple areas of her body.
“I went from being a normal middle school girl to facing major surgeries, chemotherapy, and losing my hair,” she told us. “The surgeries were intense. The treatments were invasive. The outcome was uncertain.”
Lily is in remission but forever changed. Nerve damage from surgery left her without feeling in her left knee, and she struggles with the ‘what ifs.’
“At the same time, I know I’m stronger than I ever imagined,” she says. Lily is planning to study journalism at Western Carolina University.
Lily’s Advocacy Project
Lily is an active and dedicated volunteer with a number of childhood cancer charities and fundraisers. She is working toward formally establishing her own nonprofit that funds research for pediatric clinical trials.
As a 2026 Scholar, she will also look for opportunities to advocate for pediatric cancer research funding at both the state and federal level.
“I want my voice - and the voices of other survivors - to help influence lasting legislative change,” Lily says. “This work matters to me because I am fighting for kids who are sitting in hospital beds right now, just like I once was, hoping someone will speak up for them.”
