R.I.P – Daniel Wang, Brain Tumor Victim & Greeting Card Artist

What would you do if you were diagnosed with brain cancer? 

I might crawl into a corner, curl up into a fetal position and moan a lot. I might walk into the nearest bar and order drinks until I couldn’t walk any more. I might go paragliding, because, what’s the worst that could happen?

Daniel Wang didn’t do any of these things. Instead, He used his brain tumor experience to draw greeting cards.

According to a poignant article by Amanda Marrazzo in the Chicago Tribune, Daniel started creating greeting cards with his colorful and cheery pencil drawings, and with the help of his business class instructor, Ryan Bruno he turned his artwork into a small business.

He donated all the proceeds from sales of his greeting cards to the Illinois-based “Make-A-Wish” foundation catering to the needs of children with “life-threatening medical conditions”.  See http://wish.org/about-us/our-story

This is a kid who used his disease, his handicap to help others instead of wallowing in self-pity and anger.

I find this to be pretty inspiring, actions that made me believe that Daniel was more of a man than a struggling teenage.

If I ever have the ravenous and unbeatable brain cancer that Daniel had, I hope I have the grace and vision and power to be as giving as him.

Here’s a link to her well-written article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/news/ct-daniel-wang-cancer-greeting-cards-met-20150414-story.html

And here’s a link to my original blog posting about his cards and his achievements when he was alive: http://johnstumor.blogspot.com/2014/05/hope-through-cards-young-brain-tumor.html

“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.