“Hope Through Cards”: Young Brain Tumor Survivor Gives Back

How great is this!? Daniel Wang, a sixteen year old brain tumor survivor launches a gift card company and shares his revenue with Make-A-Wish Illinois, and organization that helped him during as he fought his disease and recovered.

 Amanda Marrazzo, in an article in today’s Chicago Tribune nicely summarized Daniel’s story. For starters she writes that “Everything changed in an instant for young Daniel Wang: a sudden memory lapse, an excruciating pain in his head. Then a trip to the hospital and emergency brain surgery to remove a cancerous tumor.

When he woke up, the Gurnee boy was hooked up to a feeding tube and a respirator and his entire right side was paralyzed.

‘They removed 99 percent of the tumor,’ said Daniel, who was 12 when he had the surgery and is 16 now. His words are concise, yet he still speaks slowly. ‘When I woke up I couldn't move, or eat, or get up, talk or drink. It was a bad time.’”

Ok, let me this about this for a moment. He was twelve years old, his entire right side was paralyzed and he had a cancerous tumor. Yes, that qualifies as “a bad time” in my book.

Marrazzo goes on to say that “With his teacher's assistance, Daniel launched "Hope Through Cards" in October. He shares his earnings with Make-A-Wish Illinois — an organization that helped him when he was ailing — and said he has since raised $1,400 for the foundation. Just this month, Daniel sold Mother's Day and Father's Day cards at his school and said he raised hundreds more for the charity.”

This is a great story, a great kid and a great foundation. You can read Marrazzo’s story here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/grayslake_gurnee_round_lake/ct-brain-cancer-greeting-cards-met-20140519,0,6429162.story

After you’ve done that, go to the Make-A-Wish site at http://illinois.wish.org/

and help somebody.