When I was in sixth grade, I was convinced by a friend to join the St. Baldricks foundation. At that time, I thought it was a fun activity to shave heads for kids with cancer. I did not realize that we had to raise money for a cause. In the end, I didn’t raise much aside from my godmothers’ families in the US.

In seventh grade, I decided to take a break from St. Baldricks because I wasn’t confident that I could raise such amounts of money. Then something happened that has changed my perspective. 

In the middle of 7th grade, I suffered series of knee infections without any physical injury. I was in and out of the hospital many times and had to endure the seemingly never ending blood draws and fluid drainage. The thing I dreaded most was the long needle poking into my knees. There I met other kids in the pediatric ward who had suffered a lot more than me. Back in school, I was allowed to take lifts with a special permit. There I befriended a fellow lift rider who had been diagnosed with cancer since 5th grade, and learned that blood draws were almost a daily thing for him. All these gave me a small glimpse of what it’s like to have cancer. Still without a conclusive diagnosis, and having to stop swimming training and scale back my boy scouts adventures due to my joint conditions, I am grateful that I don’t have cancer, and in the mean time, I appreciate a lot more what children with cancer have to go through. I am determined to help those children fight the war against cancer by raising funds for research. 

Dear friends, please support me and help me in reaching my fund raising goal of USD$1000 by March 24th, when we will be “braving the shave”. Donations of all sizes are very very much appreciated, for “there is nothing more beautiful than kids helping kids”. Please support me - you are donating to the very best cancer research fund in the whole world!

亲爱的朋友们，         你们有些人可能知道，我已报名参加今年St. Baldricks基金会为儿童癌症研究募捐的活动。3月24日放学后，我和我的队友们将在学校把头剃光，感同身受那些接受放化疗的癌症病患，为儿童癌症研究筹资。

        我六年级时曾参加过一次St. Baldricks基金会活动。当时的我没有意识到除了剃光头的勇敢有趣外，还要做很多工作募捐。最终，我只筹到很少的钱。

        七年级时，因为不相信自己能募集到钱，我没有参加一年一度的活动。可是之后不久，我的经历改变了我。

        突然毫无预兆地，我的膝盖及其它关节轮番发炎感染。一年里，我多次住院，不得不忍受看似永无止境的抽血和抽积水。我最害怕的就是又长又粗的针直接戳入我的膝盖穿刺抽积水。在医院里，我遇到了其他儿科病房的孩子，目睹他们接受更多更痛苦的名目繁多的治疗。回到学校，我得到特别许可证被允许乘搭电梯。在电梯里，我结识了一个光头男孩，原来他5年级就被患了癌症，而抽血对他早已是家常便饭。我一下子觉得对儿童癌症病患所经历的痛苦有了一点感悟。现在，我的关节仍然没有确凿的诊断，不得不停止游泳队的训练，并有很多童子军探险不能参加。但我很感恩我得的不是癌症，并且我的经历让我真切体会到儿童癌症病患所承受的痛苦。我决心今年再次参加St. Baldricks基金会活动，通过筹募研究经费来帮助那些孩子们。

        亲爱的朋友们，请支持我，帮助我在3月24日前达到我的募款目标（1000美元）。届时，我们将“勇剃光浪头”。捐款不分大小，金额不论多少都非常非常欢迎，因为“没有什么比孩子帮助孩子更加美好了”。请捐款支持我。您的捐款将帮助基金致力于世界上最好的儿童癌症研究！

        感谢您的支持！