“This is real. Cancer is occurring more often in kids, and we need to let people know.” These are the words of 18-year-old cancer survivor Shauna George.

She shared her cancer story publicly for the first time in an event on Sept. 1 that kicked off National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Shauna was diagnosed with Stage 4 Ewing’s sarcoma in April 2010. A patient at Children’s Medical Center at Legacy, Shauna’s been through it all – chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and therapy.

But it’s how she approached cancer that sets her apart. “I was positive, and I think having a positive attitude is huge,” says the articulate and passionate teenager whose last treatment was in March 2011. “I have to admit, I miss Children’s. I loved my nurses. They would sit in my room and talk to me. They were more than nurses, they were my friends.”

Shauna refers to cancer as a “blessing in disguise,” because she says it changed her in a good way. This recent high school graduate wants to do her part in bringing attention to National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. To her, it’s a time to honor the kids who’ve survived as well as those who are still battling. Shauna wants teens and kids like her to know they are not alone in the fight against cancer.

“It’s hard. It’s hard on patients and their parents. It takes a lot of support, time and energy. And it’s shocking how little funding there is for childhood cancer. Something needs to happen. Children are the future of the world.”

If you would like to make a difference by supporting Children’s during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, you can visit http://www.childrens.com/giving/.

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