My name is Cameron Mathes, and I am a cancer survivor. When I was 3 years old, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

I don’t remember a lot from when I was sick, but I do remember that I couldn’t go to school, I had to get a lot of needles, and I lost all of my hair.  I spent many days and nights at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, but they tried to make it a happy place for sick kids. I liked watching the ball machine in the emergency room lobby, I watched the Amtrak trains go by on the tracks, I enjoyed playing video games in the activity room, and I actually liked the hospital food.
 
My parents have told me that when I was sick, it was a scary time for them. It took a long time for my blood to get healthy, but when I was six years old, I was able to stop receiving chemotherapy treatments.  I was cancer-free.  I am now 16 years old, and the effects of the medicine I received have all worn off.  Most of my friends don’t even know that I was sick when I was little.  I enjoy playing baseball, basketball and football for my high school.
 
I didn’t realize it at the time, but Alex Scott was a patient at the hospital when I was. We received medicine next to each other in the day hospital, and we spent several nights in the hospital at the same time. I am proud to be a cancer survivor. I am happy to be alive, but am sad for the kids, like Alex, who don’t survive.
 
I have participated in several lemonade stands to support Alex’s Lemonade.  In addition, I am a Hero Ambassador and enjoy getting out to encourage others to support this organization.  I hope the money I help to raise will help find new medicines and new treatments for cancer.  It would be nice to save more lives and to eliminate some of the side effects of the current medicines.
 
- Cameron Mathes
Updated: October 2014