Most people don’t just wake up one morning and decide to shave their head. Well, it’s a big world so I won’t speak for all of you out there and your whimsical impulses. I waged the pros and cons, and when I saw the good my contribution can make, I quickly jumped the gun and decided to raise money for a truly noble cause. Just a few days ago the first child was cured of the HIV virus1. While this does not qualify as cancer, such a medical advancement is no trivial discovery. Now that people are starting to be cured of AIDS, I am certain we will find a widespread cure and rid the world of this terrible infliction. Humans who need the most support are our children. They have the most potential, because at the end of the day, they can still become anyone. By allowing them to grow and helping them get better we can go to sleep with a cleaner conscious that we did good to others. There have been children fighting and suffering from cancer since the dawn of time. Younglings that have been deprived from experiencing life as we know it, and been subjected to pain since as early as they can remember. Instead of going to the park with their dad and their dog on a sunny afternoon, they spend their hours glued to a chair in a glum yellow room waiting to get injected with all sorts of unpronounceable drugs. Thinking about dying children in the morning would probably be one of the more masochistic ways to start off any day. We purposely don't think about it because it is painful, and everyone has his or her own shadows to contend with. Yet, think about all the parents, brothers and sisters that have no other choice but to face this demon. Every waking moment your growing kid is battling off a deadly disease. Every corner is another obstacle, another fee, another afternoon spent at the doctor's office. This is but the tip of the iceberg. Cancer consumes every aspect of your life. Your social sphere tries to help you cope, but they don't understand the pain and strife impacted on your everyday life. Kind words and encouragement begin to sound like mockeries as the disease strikes back again and again. I've never really considered doing anything of this proportion. As I mentioned earlier, I certainly tried to brush off the truth about the suffering going around the world. I had my own problems to worry about, my own demons to face, and my own challenges to surmount. Now that my life has gotten into a rhythm of sorts, I know it is time for me to prove selflessness. Burning bridges is something I haven't always been able to avoid— and this is my way to mend them. I know there have been times where I've been ruthless, devoid of compassion, and outright brutally honest. That is who I am. Direct and forward have been my raison d'etre thus far. Falling down over and over again has forced me to turn a blind eye to those in need, and while I do not regret focusing on myself, I genuinely want to extend my help to those who have it infinitely worse than me. Life is the one thing every person walking this earth gets. Everything they do and accomplish is what allows them to leave their permanent footprint on Earth. Most, if not all of us, need years and years to discover who we are, what kind of person we want to be, and what drives us to keep on going. That's one I'm still figuring out. I've been kicking for twenty years now, accomplished most of what I set my mind to, and am getting closer to accepting the person I’m becoming. Nobody should be refused this basic human right. A child should not have to worry about whether he has three or six months to live. His life should not be burdened by lengthy treatments or painful medical procedures. He should be playing, making friends, laughing and crying and being shaped to become the unique individual we all claim we are. A kid shouldn't be too tired to play sports, or forced to drink his dinner because his whole body is aching from chemotherapy. Everyone flusters at a child's smile; so pure and innocent, unburdened by the tragedies of the world around them. Reading the eyes of those who've really suffered, those who've seen more needles than soccer balls, is enough to make any grown man tear up. They deserve the chance we got, the chance we take for granted every single day, to make their life what they want it to be. Their choices are limited, and parents usually make those decisions anyway. Asking an 8-year-old boy if he prefers chemo or buckets of pills is not a question he should ever be asked. The money I've donated in my life is nothing but if short from quaint. What I earn goes into rent, food, groceries, and transportation. Excess money has usually funneled debt repayment to both friends and loans; and as an old friend of mine used to say "les bons comptes font les bons amis". My deepest regret is my inability to do more. The little help I have been able to provide has been two fold. Years ago I sponsored a blind-dog walk. A few months ago I donated $10 to breast cancer. While I wish I could do more, there is no doubt in my mind that one day I will be able to make my own contributions to charitable causes. Few feelings stack up to the beauty they invoke and the happiness their fruits bring to others. The few direct contacts I've had with cancer have been especially poignant. My first time understanding the impact of a child dying of cancer was when I was in high school. One of the best teachers I ever had, Mr. Bouché, told us about his close friend who's daughter had been diagnosed with leukemia. This 7-year old girl was completely bald from months of chemotherapy and on the verge of getting a dangerous operation as a last resort to cure her. She hadn't been to school, able to play outside or see her friends in months. She survived the operation, but died a few weeks later, her weakened body unable to recover from the intrusive procedure. Thinking of this poor girl, latched to a deathbed and getting pumped with painkillers all day deeply upset me. But what could I do? How could I stop this from happening to other children? The pain my professor expressed was devastating. His usually proud and joyous eyes swelled with gritty disgust at the fate of his friends' daughter. The tone of his voice darkened, as if the words coming out were too painful to hear. His shoulders stooped, unable to bear the weight of the tragedy weighing down upon him. He was distraught, wholly taken aback by the darkness of the reality. Every day people around the world face this horror, and are forced to cope with it. Those lives we can help save and guarantee a bright future cannot have a price. Together we can rid the world of cancer and ensure nobody is left alone to face this monster. Which is why today I want to show my solidarity to all those burdened souls that we do care. Show them that we want to see them grow up, that life is more than fighting for your life. Let them experience love and success, travel the world and discover new things. Making new friends and losing old ones. Picking up new sports and starting new hobbies. Their lives deserve to be whole, and we should give the same chance we were given. I want to make a difference. If anyone in this screwed up world deserves a fighting chance, it's the children of tomorrow. Let them make mistakes and learn from them. Allow them to grow, to explore, and show their appreciation for the new hope we've given them. Join me and make a donation to the grandest of causes!