I lost my sister and best friend, Taylor, to cancer at age 16. This was a massive, tragic loss and has affected me in many ways. I looked up to her more than anyone else because she was all I wanted to be - kind, hilarious, fun, faith-filled, positive, determined, strong, hard working, active, compassionate, and so much more. Losing her was losing my best friend. I learned to cope with other people talking about their siblings and learning to deal with the huge hole in my heart. Not a day goes by where I am not thinking about her or telling others about her. My sister and mom went out of state for her second surgery that was supposed to take a week and ended up being over five months with her becoming paralyzed. This significantly affected my life as we were always together. I was used to being with them and having them to turn to for everything. Instead, I felt like I never knew what was going on and became very isolated. I was lonely, scared, and sad. I am a type one diabetic and managing that without my mom was a big adjustment. I developed a serious eating disorder that took over three years to overcome and I still struggle at times. I am stronger and more resilient because of witnessing all Taylor went through. I had to be as determined as she was to walk again and overcome all that came with her diagnosis in order to recover from my illness. I may not have achieved this without her as a role model. The trauma and grief I have had are immense and I am still working through things over three years since she went to Heaven. Taylor’s motto was ‘faith over fear’. She lived her life fearlessly and her determination was admirable. When I reflect on all she went through, I know my faith is stronger because of her. Cancer is horrible for anyone, but when it is your sister and you witness her going through treatment, it is unimaginable and absolutely terrifying. We created a foundation in her memory to help families going through what we did, as well as to fund innovative research for appropriate treatments. Through all of this, I have learned a lot about myself, cancer, and most importantly that Taylor will always be a part of me because of who I am due to her influence. I strive to make her proud and am blessed for having her for my first fourteen years. Experiencing losing my best friend and sister after watching her go through so much has had a huge impact on who I am today. Being a freshman in college is something she never got to do. I am going to be an occupational therapist because of Taylor and watching all that she was able to overcome due to the health care professionals in her life. I will strive to make her proud for the rest of my life and have a positive impact on everyone I meet in an effort to live like she did.

My sister was diagnosed with a tumor in her spinal cord that then spread to her brain when she was fifteen and I was thirteen. Watching my best friend go through having cancer, especially when it spread to her brain, was extremely terrifying and devastating. Watching her lose her ability to do things, and eventually lose her vision are traumatic events that I will never, ever be able to forget. I vividly remember how scared she was when she started to lose her vision and also how bad her headaches were. She would always ask me to brush her hair with a certain brush to try to make the headaches better. Although she was in pain and that was my small way of trying to help, those are special times I will always treasure because we had great talks, just the two of us. My perspective of brain cancer is very real. My sister was home full time the last five months of her life and I will do anything possible to spread awareness of brain cancer, especially pediatric cancer. My family created a foundation in her memory and we raise money for pediatric cancer research and to help local families with a child going through treatment. We have had this foundation for 3 years and each year our research money has gone to pediatric cancer research labs that are working on DIPG/DMG cancer. We fundraise the most in June with our big sand volleyball tournament and then also in September for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. My sister became paralyzed after her second surgery and was inpatient for about seven months. She also attended outpatient therapy when she was not inpatient. I was with her for a lot of her physical and occupational therapy sessions and saw how important therapies were for her. I want to be able to help other kids who are faced with a cancer diagnosis so they are able to achieve and live their life, knowing I am going to help achieve and be their biggest supporter. My sister learned to walk again before things got worse and she went to Heaven and that is because of the expertise, care, and support of her therapists. I want to be an occupational therapist for this reason and am dedicated to helping others achieve their goals. Additionally, I will continue to be active in our foundation in her memory and help grow it and attend events to raise awareness so there can someday be a cure.

Cancer. The thing that everyone dreads. The thing I had always heard about, but never fully understood until it took the life of my best friend. My older sister, Taylor, was diagnosed with a rare spinal cord tumor as she entered her sophomore year of high school. After her first surgery, my parents took her for a second opinion and she had another surgery and became paralyzed from the waist down. A cancer diagnosis is terrifying, but watching your sister, your idol, and your best friend become paralyzed on top of a cancer diagnosis is brutal. It seemed like whenever we thought things couldn’t get any worse, they did with a bad scan, being limited with therapy and visitors due to COVID-19, spread to her brain, etc. However, through the diagnosis and all Taylor went through, I learned more than I could have imagined about ambition, drive, and impact as I had the absolute best role model you could ask for. Ambition is something that Taylor had an abundance of. She had this overwhelming desire to achieve more than what anyone thought possible. She insisted that she would walk and drive again, but my mom could see by the responses and facial expressions of doctors that not all of them believed that. She went to 3+ hours of therapy daily, requested extra sessions on the weekends, and did her own exercises in her room. I honestly have never witnessed someone want anything more than her wanting to use her legs again. She set goals for herself that she worked hard to achieve, giving maximum effort. Even with treatment, when she was tired and sick, her ambition never diminished. I admire the determination Taylor had when pushing towards the things that she wanted. She did walk with a walker and crutches before the cancer spread to her brain. I have never been more proud. Taylor’s drive was unbelievable regarding school. She participated in all of her classes without being discouraged, even while inpatient for several months. She maintained a 4.0 while teaching herself and going through treatment. Taylor’s drive and determination are what got her through two rounds of radiation, chemotherapy, and a drug trial in Michigan. I am inspired to push myself because she showed me what is possible to accomplish in a horrible situation. My sister made an impact on everyone that knew her. By being very friendly with positive energy and enthusiasm, she built strong relationships as though she wasn’t going through the hardest time in her life. She provided input regarding treatment and therapy. Most people would just do whatever they are told, but she would speak up if she didn’t agree with something. Even though Taylor’s life has come to an end, her story continues to make an impact. My mom and I created the Taylor Lech Foundation in her memory to raise money for pediatric cancer research and to help families with a cancer diagnosis. Taylor’s significant impact on others has inspired me to do the same by working to raise money through the foundation. My dream is to become an occupational therapist and help people get better. My ambition is to constantly learn and achieve to pursue my goals. I am determined to take in everything to become the best occupational therapist for my patients. Lastly, I will make sure I am not just any other therapist, but one that my patients feel comfortable with and will remember forever because of my impact. I am thankful for my sister, and all of the things that she and her cancer journey have taught me.