It’s heartbreaking to hear a ten-year-old child matter-of-factly discuss the difference between a chemotherapy shirt and a regular shirt. And it’s devastating to hear her explain how a chemo shirt saves time and prevents infection. But this is something that little Sophia Espiritu talks about regularly.
Sophia has Langerhans cell histiocytosis, a rare form of childhood cancer that attacks one in every 200,000 children. Even as she was fighting her disease, Sophia started a “Shirt and Share” fundraiser on her birthday so that she could raise money and donate chemotherapy sports shirts to other cancer patients. “I want to help other children because this past year, so many people have been helping me—all of the nurses and the physicians, my family, and all of my friends—so I just wanted to be able to help and give back to everyone,” explains Sophia. Happily, the Make-A-Wish Foundation heard about her and sent her on a Harry Potter tour in Europe.
As if Sophia’s act of kindness wasn’t enough, she also volunteers with INCGiving, a nonprofit organization that encourages members around the globe to share their faith through kindness to others.
Read more about Sophia’s story: https://news.stonybrook.edu/homespotlight/a-brave-girl-eases-the-journey-for-fellow-cancer-patients/
