Sammy’s Story

Sometimes the best medicine for a child with cancer is hope; hope that they can find the strength to carry on; hope that cancer will not steal their dreams; hope that they can not only survive but thrive again.

Kathy Hinkle, an oncology nurse and one of our medical team volunteers, has seen over 100 of her patients participate in Shining Stars’ recreational and social programs. She recently shared this story of HOPE with us:

Sammy was your average 16-year-old boy, just two months away from finishing his sophomore year in high school. Sammy was an athlete who excelled at just about any sport he tried. His energetic and affable personality had him involved in student council and many clubs. He was, in his words, “living the dream.”

That all changed when a lump on his shoulder was evaluated and found to be cancerous. When he arrived in the outpatient clinic for his first round of chemotherapy, he and his mom had the “deer in the headlights” look that I have unfortunately seen on many families’ faces. Sammy was polite but withdrawn. His mother cried silently.

I first told Sammy about the Shining Stars Foundation and the Aspen Winter Games ski program on one of his worst treatment days. Sammy needed something to believe in that day. I gently told him, “Sammy, I know you can’t even imagine right now that you will feel strong enough to ski, but you will. You will go on this trip, I promise.” For a split second, Sammy envisioned himself strong and healthy. It was the first seed of hope.

As the months of treatment went by, we talked frequently about the Aspen Winter Games Program. Sammy’s body lost muscle and strength with each course, but his spirit no longer seemed broken.

Sammy attended the Aspen Winter Games Program in March 2018. When I met him and his mom at the airport before the trip, we exchanged hugs and his mom cried. We were finally here, 21 months after that difficult clinic morning. Sammy took full advantage of the experience. He skied black diamonds, rode snowmobiles, was crowned Dance King at disco night, and performed a hilarious lip-synch performance at the talent show. He also made new, life-long friends that he could lean on for support.

Each year, when I bring kids to the Winter Games Program, they are changed by the time they return home. They are more confident in themselves, they exude strength that they didn’t have 7 days before, and they have a new community of peers who understand just what they are going through. But it doesn’t stop there. They take their newfound strength, confidence, and support, and return to their lives with a renewed spirit and hope in the future.