Alex was a high honor roll high school freshman taking the most rigorous classes his high school has to offer, a hospital volunteer, competitive rower, and avid musician when he was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a grade four brain tumor, last year. After brain surgery Alex had many hurdles to cross. He had to learn to walk again, had severe double vision, and could not taste food. He needed work on holding a pencil and writing again. He remained in the hospital for almost a month and received intensive occupational, physical, and speech therapy. After he was discharged he received radiation every day for 6 weeks, which was aimed at his spine and brain. This, along with adjunctive chemotherapy, exacerbated his nausea and caused severe vomiting. He lost over thirty pounds and had to have surgery to place a feeding tube directly into his stomach. He continued with an aggressive course of chemotherapy for over one year. Alex has overcome all of these obstacles and has been continuing with his rigorous course work and high honors marks through home instruction during his sophomore year in high school. But we had the greatest shock of our lives when just one week before his last chemo treatment was scheduled, Alex's MRI revealed a recurrence of cancer, now in his spine. Alex is facing this recent challenge with the same level of fortitude and courage that he did with the first. He has left his family and friends simply awe-struck with his continued perseverance, good nature, and optimism. Alex's nickname from the time he was a toddler has been "Champ." It is a name that is so well deserved, and really says it all.