Lindsey

At 16 -- an age when most kids are learning to drive and beginning to date -- Lindsey Drake also was learning to appreciate each and every day. She carried that lesson into adulthood, and now, at the age of 25, she turns her appreciation for life into a gift for others through community involvement.

Lindsey was diagnosed in 1999 with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Taking the trials of a cancer diagnosis on a day-to-day basis helped Lindsey cope with her initial diagnosis, and prepared her to cope when she relapsed in 2001. 

"It was really hard. No one wants to go through it, and you especially don't want to go through it twice," she says. "But it taught me not to sweat the small stuff."

Lindsey said she got through the tough times by staying busy. Her first hospital stay was 37 days long, and while she was there, she did arts and crafts and anything else that could keep her mind off her illness.

She said her family also was instrumental in helping her maintain a positive attitude. "I know they were scared and sad, but they didn't break down around me," she says. "My mom also made sure my friends could visit me. She 'detoxed' our entire house and set up a hand-washing station where my friends could come in and clean up before coming into my room."

Lindsey said a great source of comfort for her family was the support they received from the N.C.C.S. and the Ronald McDonald House Charities. "They helped alleviate some of the financial stress on my parents, which allowed them to focus on me. I'm very grateful for that," Lindsey says.

As a way of showing that gratitude, Lindsey currently serves as a community liaison between the employees at her place of employment -- Knollwood Country Club in Granger, IN, and the surrounding community. In this capacity, she organizes the collection for the families that the employees adopt during the holidays, and she helps coordinate a toyshop where lower income families can get Christmas gifts for their children.

"I'm grateful to be here and I'm grateful for everything that was done for me," she says. "That's all I need for motivation."

All across the country, families of children being treated for cancer can get financial assistance from the N.C.C.S. to help them get through their cancer journeys. If your child is in treatment and you need financial assistance, call the N.C.C.S. at 1-800-5FAMILY or click here for an application.