Kristen Todd is an active, intelligent, creative and beautiful 14 year old girl with twinkling eyes and a smile that fills you with joy every time you see it. Kris was just diagnosed a month ago with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. A persistent cough and some a pain in her back were the symptoms that prompted her doctor to have a Cat Scan taken expecting to find possibly a kidney stone. When the CAT Scan showed some abnormalities she was sent to Columbia Presbyterian Children's Hospital in New York City. They performed many tests including a biopsy of the lung and discovered the Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Since then she has had several chemotherapy treatments and seems to be responding well to them even though some of the side affects of the chemo make her pretty uncomfortable sometimes,she still maintains her "I can beat this" attitude and her sense of humor. Kris lives at home with her mom and dad and Bandit, her English Setter who loves to torment her by jumping on the bed to wake her up with sloppy dog kisses...especially on week-ends. Kris is in the Eighth grade at Randolph Middle School and is an "A" student. Math is NOT her favorite subject but she excels in all her classes to the best of her ability. She's a member of the school's ski club and loves it when the trails are covered with powder! She has participated for several years in the girl's recreation soccer program. She loves playing guitar (she has several including a 12 string) and she currently takes lessons at the Music Den in Roxbury. In addition to playing, she has written several of her own songs and performs them for family and friends. Her favorite music is Classic Rock and Roll but not too long ago she was listening to a good amount of Country music having gotten hooked by attending concerts put on by Toby Keith, TIm McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood and Big & Rich. You'll find a mix of music types on her I Pod. Kris is a avid reader. She recently read the Twilight Trilogy in record time. She can easily finish a book in a day or two and retain what she reads forever. Her usual response when she's called to do something is "Just let me finish this chapter". She also loves to write and has 3 books in progress. She is documenting her experiences and feelings during this difficult time in her life and hopes to write a book that will help other kids in similar situations. Last summer Kris was promoted to Brown Belt at the Karate camp she has attended since she was 7 years old. She has been taking classes in Isshinryu Karate for 8 years. She has won numerous trophies at the many competitions she's attended over the years and will be testing for her Black Belt in just 1.5 years. She says the lessons that Karate taught her have helped here face this challenging time. The thing Kris does NOT like...anything pink. Kris is a strong, determined, courageous young woman who is determined to fight and win this battle.