Hi, my name is Hailey. I am 17 years old and I love to play softball. My journey dealing with cancer has been very long. I was diagnosed with bone cancer, Ewing’s Sarcoma, in 2009 on my birthday, August 12.

I was a softball catcher. I noticed my knee hurt, and I thought it was just because I did a lot of squats. But it started to hurt so bad that I was crying, and I do not cry. After multiple hospital visits, I was finally diagnosed with cancer.

Doctors removed the tumor in my right leg and replaced most of my femur, hip and knee. I immediately began chemotherapy. After my last round of chemo, I thought I was done. My cancer was in remission.

Then in May 2010, my leg started hurting again. The cancer was back. I had to endure more surgeries and chemotherapy, again. I lost my hair and felt very uncomfortable. I was not able to go to school very much. When I could get out and do stuff, it meant a lot to me. I loved my Angel Hair. I could go to school and out in public and feel comfortable. I got the color I wanted, blond, and it looked so real. I got complements on it all the time.

I hope the second round of cancer is my last. I want to go to college and become a chemo nurse, so I can help other people who have cancer. I am so grateful to my family, friends, everybody at Pendelton High School, and Angel Hair Foundation for their support. My advice to others going through rough times is to make the best of it. Don’t sit at home. Do everything you want to and don’t hold back.