By After graduating from high school, while on a missions trip in Kenya, Kayla Perry began having odd symptoms and was forced to return home early. Upon arriving back in the States, and after a series of scans and tests, Kayla found out she has stage IV neuroblastoma. She received chemo, radiation, a bone marrow transplant and immunotherapy, but the cancer continued to grow.
Now, she’s focused on maintaing the disease instead of fighting it. She isn’t sure how long she’ll live, but she’s aiming to make the most of her life…by studying to become a nurse.
Inspired yet? Just wait. Not only is Kayla enrolled at Auburn University in their nursing program, but she has also taken on a personal goal of raising as much money as possible for pediatric cancer. Her advocacy—Open Hands, Overflowing Hearts—has raised more than $50,000 for research.
She talks about this and more in the moving video below:
Follow Kayla’s journey on her Facebook page and/or official website.
Are you tearing up yet?! In the comments below, share your own story of how you came to nursing and what the profession means to you.
