At the age of 11, my life radically changed. My loving father was stripped away from me. He fought cancer for years, and during his fight with cancer, his personality totally changed, and he became a foreign person to me. I became confused. Vile thoughts filled my mind. Why did my parents stop loving me? Why were they always gone? Why did they leave me behind? I felt isolated and alone. In a desperate attempt to gain attention, I caused a lot of trouble for my mom. My immaturity and lack of understanding left me cursing my life, parents, and unfair circumstances. Despite my toxic mentality at home, there was one constant away from my family that kept me sane: swimming. (My mom did her best and also tried counseling, but I was a hopeless and entitled child.) The pool became my sanctuary during my dad’s treatment and distracted me from my familial situation. I was able to superficially connect with other kids, which helped me get out of my head, but I couldn’t relate to anyone. When my dad died from cancer in 2019, my depression peaked. Shortly after my dad’s death, my swim team became my second family. People would reach out and make sure my family was doing okay. Some would make us food. Others would help with transportation to extracurriculars. After many years, I have realized that other kids and cancer families aren’t as lucky as I was. I want to give back to the cancer community. With some friends, we decided to create a community where kids can be kids, be themselves, smile, and learn that they aren't alone. Now I'm living in Stage 5.