In Memory of Lauren Hill - It’s Your Turn To Take The Torch
- lewopschall
- Apr 11, 2015
- 2 min read
Two million four hundred thousand dollars raised for DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) and a young girl’s inspiring spirit contagiously catching the nation’s attention. To say Lauren Hill has left a legacy would be an understatement.
I remember when I met Lauren Hill at the Hyde Park Blast last summer. She was an ambassador for The Cure Starts Now, the cancer research organization that was benefitting from the 5K race. We did an on air interview together. After I remember saying a few words to her, something I felt compelled to do as someone who has been impacted by cancer. “Keep strong and don’t lose that fighting spirit you have,” I told her.
If anything, Lauren’s fighting spirit only grew. It grew so great she found herself in a stadium packed with over 10,000 fans cheering her on when she made her college basketball debut. (And to think those were only the fans that could fit inside the stadium building. Thousands more watched the game on TV and online through streaming services.)
Doctors said it would be very soon after the game that Lauren would lose her life to cancer. But she didn’t. She still had more to give to this world.
Lauren created the “Layup for Lauren challenge” to fund more research for The Cure Starts Now. She also continued to be a symbol of hope and perseverance. Lauren knew this was her purpose; this was why she was brought on this Earth.
As a reporter, stories like Lauren’s are my favorite, simple because people like Lauren are my favorite. People, who are dealt the poor hand of cards, yet find a way to become victorious.
If we can learn anything from Lauren I hope it’s that you truly can make a difference in this world. The media picked up her story and it caught on like a wildfire, sweeping the nation. Why? Because we all crave a symbol of hope, and Lauren was that symbol. You might think your impact will never amount to the one she left, but I challenge you to think otherwise. Lauren was given a stage that not all are. That doesn’t mean though, you can’t spark change in your community. Live your life in a way that awe’s other people. Find your passion and spread it amongst the world. It’s your turn to carry the torch, because Lauren’s work here is done. R.I.P. Lauren Hill.
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