I want to tell the world about a friend of mine. Some call him Patrick O’Malley, others call him a husband but I call him dad. He has been my best friend since the day I was born. When I was a child, we did everything together. He coached both my sister's and my soccer teams growing up. He taught me how to read and write, but most importantly he taught me to be a good person. 

I was 7 years old when I was diagnosed with brain cancer. My diagnosis day was my dad's birthday -- May 29. That day, I saw him drop to his knees and cry. There’s something to be said about seeing your dad cry because for me when he cries, it absolutely breaks me, even if I am the one he is crying about. Dad has always taken me to all my hospital appointments. He sits there with me as I am getting chemotherapy, recovering from surgery and when I am crying on the floor because I did not want to continue my treatments anymore. 

For most of my life, my Nana (my mom's mom) would always tell me how my dad has a heart of gold and that he would move mountains for my sister and me. I can see now where I get my kindness from. Dad taught me how to take my pain and use it for the greater good. I started raising money for cancer research, donating toys to the hospital, and all around being a positive person. There were times when life got difficult, especially trying to be a regular kid in elementary, middle and high school. Rumors would spread about my cancer, my peers would be mean, and the side effects from my chemotherapy medications would be the icing on the cake.

But, through it all I had the best cheerleader, friend, and father I could have ever asked for.

So, Happy Fathers Day Daddy, I love you, forever and always. Thank you for sometimes having to play the part of mom, nurse, lawyer, best friend and counselor. But, most importantly, thank you for being my Dad. 

I love you daddy,

P.S. Don’t get a big head reading this :)

Lauren O'Malley is a nursing student at West Chester University. She was diagnosed with an inoperable low-grade glioma on her optic nerve and in the center of her brain when she was 7 years. Together, with her Dad, Lauren is an ambassador and volunteer stand host for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. You can read most of her incredible story here.