What are your goals and plans for the future?

My current plan for the future is to pursue an engineering degree, and reach my goal of improving the health of others around the world with smart technology, like smart watches, through engineering. I have always been interested in engineering, and courses like technological design have helped me foster that passion with hands-on activities and projects. Engineering is a very powerful field, as everything that we interact with, physically or virtually, was most likely created through engineering. Having the versatility and flexibility of an engineering degree is crucial when trying to solve a multifaceted and complex problem as global health. 

Health is an interest of mine, but especially so after I was diagnosed with cancer. Maintaining good health is essential for a good quality of life, yet it is priceless. I was lucky to be diagnosed quickly and in a country with such advanced medical systems, because otherwise, I would not be alive today. I see tremendous social and economic value in investing in health products and I hope one day, I can engineer the next medical device that saves lives just as the medical technology today saved mine.

How have you overcome adversity? What did you learn and how have you grown from that experience?

Life can change in an instant. I learned that the hard way in August of 2015, when I picked up the phone from my doctor. I had cancer. 

It was a surprise, a shock, a bombshell. I had been previously healthy, and I had never imagined in my life that I needed to be in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy. I was diagnosed with a specific leukemia where the only treatment was a bone marrow transplant. It was a long month at Sickkids Hospital during the admission for that transplant, but I endured, as it was the least that I could do. I endured the pain, the roller-coaster of emotions, the hard physical effects and the social isolation of this difficult treatment because I had hope that I would overcome this chapter in my life. 

Cancer took away a large part of my life, as I had to skip Grade 7 and 8 while doing Grade 9 and 10 in a special classroom as I focused my energy on recovery. I couldn’t pursue my passions, I couldn’t go to school, and I couldn’t even be with my friends since I was under heavy immunosuppression. But, I remained stoic and positive. Thinking about hypotheticals or the negative in my life wouldn’t do me any good, and it certainly wouldn’t help with my recovery. I stayed on the positive side of life, enjoying the little things that I had, like spending more time with my family and trying out new hobbies, especially origami. It took my mind off of all the medical jargon, the bloodwork results and anxiety of my parents. With all the time I had sitting at home, I looked for an opportunity to do something good for Sickkids, which had worked tirelessly to save my life and provided me with the great care that I received every time I’m there. And I got that opportunity. 

I was given the opportunity to draw a poster encouraging hand washing for Sickkids, and I took it. My poster wasn’t any good, but the nurses noticed my passion and I was selected to not only have the poster placed around Sickkids, but to be interviewed to raise awareness about the importance of clean hands. This kick-started my association with Sickkids as a Patient Advisor, helping researchers and nurses with their projects from a patient perspective. Soon, I became a Patient Ambassador for the Sickkids Foundation, advocating to corporate executives, community members and philanthropists on the importance of donating to Sickkids using my own story.

My journey to overcome cancer was made possible by having a positive outlook in the face of darkness. Even though I was sick and on many different medications, I pushed to find a way to give back to the hospital that cared for me at my darkest hours and saved my life. I have grown tremendously in character, in skill and in wisdom from both my battle with cancer and the opportunities that I seized along the way. I have become more patient with others and in life, as fighting cancer and waiting for my health to rebound has taught me that patience is a virtue. I have grown to be more empathetic with others, as I have received a vast amount of empathy from those around me, and I now understand how important it is for us social beings to be empathetic. From my experiences as a Patient Advisor and Patient Ambassador, I have grown more confident in public speaking, become a better critical thinker and gained a multitude of interpersonal skills. 

Today, I am on a steering committee guiding national pediatric oncology research priorities, and I continue to work with the Foundation on their campaigns with radio interviews, TV interviews and speeches every so often. Being a Patient Advisor and Patient Ambassador has helped me immensely with my physical and mental recovery, as it gave me a purpose and was the light in the dark chapter in my life. But it couldn’t be done without staying positive and staying hopeful. And that’s how I overcame cancer. Overcoming adversity isn’t just about surviving a predicament; it's about turning that predicament into an opportunity. An opportunity to learn and to grow. An opportunity to create change.