People who inspire me: Hayley Arceneaux
Do you remember where you were on Wednesday, September 16th, at 8:02 pm EST? Well, Hayley Arceneaux was buckled into the Crew Dragon Capsule while the Falcon 9 space X rocket below, began to blast it into orbit at over 17,500 mph, where it would spend 3 days circling the planet (once every 90 minutes to be exact). A smile beaming brighter than the sun across her face showed no visible fear as she, and 3 other civilians aboard, reached 363 miles above Earth.
19 years ago, at age 10, I doubt she could have imagined the heights she would climb to today. After complaining to her Mom about a bump and ache in her leg, Hayley was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Feeling lost and in shock, her mother found comfort with the team at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where no child is turned away due to their parent's inability to pay. She began chemotherapy treatment and quickly became the unofficial gratitude administrator on staff. She would visit blood donors and thank them for helping save lives and she would do her best to put on a smile on the faces of other children in treatment. It was obvious that she thrived in an environment where she could help others. After 12 months of chemo, and limb-salvage surgery where an internal prosthesis was used to replace part of the femur bone that was removed, she was finally declared cancer-free and able to return home to St. Francisville, Louisiana. After she left St. Jude Hospital, she told all the doctors that it was her dream to work there and she would be back.
Upon graduating college as a physician's assistant, she did just that, when she accepted a position in inpatient lymphoma and leukemia care at St. Jude. She was finally able to give back to the place and people that healed her while helping children and their families during the scariest time of their lives.
One day, out of the blue, she received a call from St. Judes, asking her if she would like to represent them and fly to space in the "Hope seat" of a civilian mission to space which would become a fundraiser for the hospital. Being the adventurous spirit that her mother says she has always been, she accepted, unsure of any details. Exactly how far would they be going? How long would they be in space? Thankfully these details would be ironed out over the next 7 months during intensive training to prepare her and the rest of the Inspiration4 crew on what to do in case something should go wrong, and how to withstand the force of 8G's without passing out. It was not for the faint of heart, but she thrived in training and finally, the day arrived. Haley became not only the youngest person in space ever but also the first person with any kind of prosthesis.
It's not because she was picked to go to space that she has inspired me and it is not because she survived cancer. It's who she became with the second chance at life that she was given. She chose to come back to the place that brings so many survivors endless anxiety so that she could help others. She made it her life goal to give back and when she was given yet another opportunity in the form of a trip to space, she spent the only free time she had after training, advocating for cancer patients and survivors, showing them that they should feel free to shoot for the stars with their dreams.
Last night, Hayley Arceneaux, Jared Isaacman, Sian Proctor, and Christopher Sembroski landed safely in the ocean of the coast of Florida. Haley emerged from the Crew Dragon Capsule first, grinning and dancing just as her feet hit the ground. I look forward to continuing to be inspired by all that her participation has brought to the cancer community and what the future has in store for her.
Thank you Hayley.
Sincerely,
A fellow osteosarcoma survivor and dreamer
Photo by @riv_tides Victor Rivera from Jetty Park in Port Canaveral, FL
