Cancer by Enrique

Cancer by Enrique - August 2026 Scholarship Essay

It was October, 2016 and I had just got off of school and headed on my way to rec after school but moments later I had a call from the front office before getting off of school. The front desk lady and my grandfather were in the office and at the time I did not know what was going on, I was only 7 years old and my grandfather had explained to me that my mother was in the hospital and I was speechless and had frozen.

My mother was a single mother of 1 and had to provide for me and her and it had been hard because she had to start paying for medical bills and prescriptions. I was living with my grandparents for at least a month where they would pick me up and drop me off of school. Once that month had passed I had seen my mother differently, she seemed to have less energy and motivation although the amount of work given to her at her job was hard enough on her, the medications also became another thing that had started to become effective. It had brought a weird emotion in my stomach at school and had made me feel ill and isolated from others such as my classmates and as well as my teachers. I had this urge towards whenever I was separated from my mother, such as overthinking what could happen to her while I was gone and through time I had that same feeling it caused me to have anxiety and I felt that I should not have been away from my mother and I wanted to take care of her.

I spent most of my time during the weekends going to my mother’s appointments, or her support groups, this had all been new to me and her and I was shocked towards the amount of people that had also been affected by Cancer and I’d find some kids my age that had the same feeling as me such as having that fear of something happening to either their father or mother. I had found this pamphlet in one of these book holders and I see that it gives information and pictures of this summer camp that are meant for kids that are affected by cancer, it was all sorts and different varieties of cancer and so I had showed my mother about it and she said that she would sign me up for it. On my way to the camp site I started to feel regret and hesitation of why I wanted to go to this camp although I knew I was gonna be away from my mother so then I became scared again.

I had started making friends there and had a blast and everyone my age at this camp did not know what effects cancer had caused, we only knew that it was a virus in a person’s body. I spent a lot of time overthinking and visualizing the different possibilities towards what effects could be going through my mother. I wasn’t a very open person based on this sort of topic and it was hard for me to talk to others about it. It was the day before the end of camp and I was in this group with kids my age and we all had talked about what was going on outside of camp and how it had affected us and some people. It was really easy for me to connect with them because I could understand the position that they are in.

When times were rough for the both of us and we were struggling and we had to use most of the money of hospital bills and treatment, I helped in, whenever my mother never had the strength to lift anything and was tired for many days, I started to visualize and started helping with groceries, washing clothes, doing side jobs to make some money in my neighborhood to help pay for our groceries and giving my mom the attention that she isn’t alone in this and I’d work the hardest to my ability as I can. I understand now that it is a gift to still have her here and me becoming the person I have become today.I help now advocate for myself and for others in need such as inclusion because I used to be put in that position and whenever I see children younger than me at the age that when their parents had gotten cancer I give them feedback and advice of how everything will be okay making sure to count everyday as a blessing.

I became the person who I am today because of my mother and from gaining all of the perseverance and responsibility and looking back on it I can realize that these responsibilities will help me be much more prepared for the future.