“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Owen was diagnosed with AT/RT an aggressive brain tumor at 14 months old. He started having seizures about a year later due to scar tissue from one of the two resection surgeries. With no luck controlling the seizures Owen had a hemispherctomy at three and a half. He’s been cancer free for over 10 years and seizure free for over 8 years. Not bad for an 11 year old. He’s been obsessed with super heroes since he first saw super Grover! He truly is my hero, he is my son, my life, my everything.” – Cyndi Y

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Kenneth fought through 30 months of having Gliobladtoma. He didn’t loose the battle he won the war on April 9, 2016 when he gained his heavenly wings of eternal life. Kenneth was 17 years old.” – Rachel S

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Ashtyn was a whole year old when he was diagnosed with AML, Acute myeloid leukemia, a rare type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow. He fought hard for a year with many rounds of chemo and a bone marrow transplant that let him be cancer free for a few months before the cancer came back a second time.

Gone but not forgotten, our hero he will always be.” – Amanda S

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Madi stood gave up typically fun moments of her senior year of high school to travel back and forth across the country to help her sister and brother-in-law care for her niece, Estelle, first in El Paso, Texas and later in Boston, Massachusetts.  Estelle was diagnosed with AT/RT a few months before her third birthday and fought fearlessly for nearly a year before gaining her angel wings. Madi worked hard to maintain good grades, apply to colleges, and love on her niece and (then infant) nephew with every bit of energy she had in her. Auntie Madi truly inspires me as she pushes on towards a nursing degree, with plans to work with pediatric oncology patients one day so she can brighten the lives of more children. She displays a love for all people she meets but no one will ever make her light up quite like her first niece did. The two formed a special connection from the moment Estelle was born and Madi seemed to go to the ends of the Earth in search of new ways to entertain Estelle in the hospital and at home. Madi inspires everyone around her to be the best that they can be and to do everything one can to brighten the day of another person.” – Emily D

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Sandy Crowninshield is my niece and the mother of Ty Crowninshield.  Ty survived retinalblastoma when he was 2 but now suffers the effects of the treatments.  He is currently not doing well.  His mother has been his rock.  She has given multiple transfusions and cared for him every single day of his nine years on earth.  There is so much more to tell such as she is the mother of 5 children in all.  Please consider her as one of your heroes.  She is definitely one of mine.” – Tassie B

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Mili, Warrior Princess not willing to give up. Though in pain you still try to get up and play soccer in these hallways” – Marisa S

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“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: At 8 yrs old, Jon, underwent a craniotomy to remove a golf ball size tumor (Medulloblastoma) from his cerebellum, then  completed 30 rounds of Proton beam radiation to the entire brain & spine followed by 9 cycles (54 weeks) of chemotherapy.  Jon beat  brain cancer’s butt with grace.  He is 10 years old now and will celebrate 1 yr of completing treatment on 9/15.” – Claudia G

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Brynn is a 5 year old little lady whocomes across as a shy littl girl but has a heart of gold and is my hero! She was diagnosed with ALL last year and it turned her and our family’s life upside down. She spent many weeks in the hospital with her parents and siblings. She toughed it out through all the procedures and tried to keep a smile on her face. She is now in remission and it makes me proud that she calls me her aunt.” – Suzanne F.

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Andrea is someone who works tirelessly to bring awareness about childhood cancer. She lost her son to cancer and since his passing she has created a “WeLoveRiley Fan Club” bringing awareness of all childhood cancer issue, especially the 4% which is NOT enough!! She is an amazing person and her mission does not end! Today we will be in for the Childhood Cancer Awareness month Proclamation and Tuesday we will be in Chicopee for the same! Please consider her it is well deserved! The Gold Ribbon Hero picture is of Andrea and her late son Riley <3” – Stacey R

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Katie is an 18-year-old survivor of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Diagnosed when she was eight ,she was treated for 2 1/2 years by the amazing staff at Wake Forest  University’s Brenner Children’s  hospital in Winston-Salem North Carolina

Since her recovery Katie  has been an advocate for childhood cancer awareness.  She  twice her high school dance team in walk for wishes events. She ihas also been involved with the  Saint Baldrick’s  foundation and   volunteered with the arts for life program. This past summer she spent three weeks volunteering at Camp Carefree , a local camp for chronically ill children which  she attended while she was in treatment    Currently  Katie is a freshman at North Carolina State University where she plans to study human biology and possibly prepare for a career in the medical field.” – Anne C