CONTINUED BEST WISHES TO OUR PREVIOUS WINNERS: SHANNON MC DOWELL, GREGORY GUTIERREZ, GLORY HOM and PHILIP TAMULIS, New Jersey MATIS MILLER, QUINCY SHEDRICK, RYAN WELLS,  PATRICK TUTHILL and ROBIN BURGER, New York ADAM DI GIOVANNI, DANIEL MATTHEWS, MICKEY RUGGERI, PATRICK O'NEIL and HEATHER EMERY, Georgia CHAD DONNELL and JUAN MALDONADO, JR., Texas KIMBERLY BEESLEY and KATIE KAPLAN, Colorado JACOB RUIZ, RAY RODRIGUEZ, ZOE BURNS and KEVIN HO,  Illinois AMBER BAKER, HANNAH SCALISE and CASSIE HINES, Michigan         TYSON CAZIER, Vermont ASHLEY LOVE, KENNETH HEMPILL, JESSICA GLAGO, AARON NATHE, DEREK STRATA , JESSICA STAYER, ANGELA SAYERS and SARAH STARNER, Ohio BRIAN ANDERSON, Kansas         JANE LINGWALL, Utah JAMES TALBERT, KATHRYN ZAWADZKI, DREW CHEATWOOD, NETA VAN ZWAREN, KENNETH PERNSELY JR. and LAURA LITCHFIELD, North Carolina  ADAM WEAVER, MARK A. GOOD and CHRISTOPHER WILSON, West Virginia ETHAN HELM, Arkansas        BRAD ATCHELY, Tennessee  BENJAMIN BREAULT, SAMANTHA TETREAULT, JESSICA ALLARD, PAIGE KALIKA and HUNTER DURFEE,  New Hampshire APRIL OWINGS and T.J. HUTCHINGS, Oklahoma ANDY SEIPEL, DE ANDRE JONES,VINCENT J. GOODWIN, ELIZABETH STAUFFER and NICK KLOSKA, Pennsylvania BARRY WILLIAMS JR., Maryland        JOEL MCKAY, Louisiana KYLE COUGHLIN, REBECCA QUINONES and GEORGE KAPLAN, Florida BRIAN DOMBROWSKI, CHRISTINE BUFFONE, ANDREW DORNER, ANNI KACYNSKI, BRITTANY MABIS and ZACH REZK, Wisconsin BASIR SYED, ADRIENNE B., CASSIE NGUYEN, CALEB DOMINGUEZ, SIMON JOHN WILLIAMS, MATTHEW SASAKI and BROOKS PAUL,  California JOEL SOUKUP, TORREY LINE and NATHAN WALZ, Minnesota CASEY REIS, Mississippi          DYLAN McDANIEL, Nevada BEN LUKING, Kentucky           JOSEPH CUSICK, Maine ANDREW McCUSKER and DANIEL WARILA, Massachusetts HALEY CHAPLIN, South Carolina       JOSEPH DAIGLE, Rhode Island TIFFANY ANNE ANDREWS, CRYSTAL BIALAS and TIMOTHY JARVIS, Virginia JOHN ROBERT HICKS and DAVID BROOK MIDDLETON, Alabama STEVE PAYNE, EMMA C., RYAN SCHLOSSER and AMY E. HAYES, Indiana JAMIE LYNN FARLEY, Idaho    BRENT SCHILPEROORT, Washington BRIDGET FROSINA, Connecticut        KELSEY LEE, Iowa

JORDON S. PERRY is 18 and lives in Arizona, where he will be attending Chandler-Gilbert Community College this fall to pursue studies in engineering.  A true cancer warrior, Jordon has been battling since he was 15 years old and just beginning his sophomore year of high school.  Diagnosed with testicular cancer, he underwent surgery and thought his ordeal was behind him.  However, several months later a CT scan indicated an abdominal mass and Jordon began a grueling chemotherapy regimen which lasted for much of his junior year.  Despite suffering all of the side effects of chemo, Jordon rallied himself enough to play the final game of the varsity soccer season and managed to finish his junior year on schedule and maintain a part-time job to help with his future college expenses.   Jordon was once again forced to resume his battle when his cancer recurred midway through his senior year, which brought additional surgery and more chemotherapy.  Not a quitter, Jordon is determined to continue his education and  obtain that engineering degree one way or another, and we know that this kind of determination and courage can never be defeated.  Fight on, Jordon - you can do it! CONGRATULATIONS, JORDON!   Another member of our warriors brigade is KEVIN LIVINGSTON from Utah.  Kevin, 18, was diagnosed with Portal Vein Thrombosis at age 8, a rare disorder that effects delivery of blood to the liver.  Then, when he was 15, Kevin learned he had Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome - gastrinoma tumors in the pancreas and duodenum.  This disease is so rare it effects only 1 in a million people each year.  Kevin underwent tumor removal surgery and was too ill to attend school for much of his sophomore year, being home schooled instead and having to use a feeding tube.  Less than 6 months later, after a recurrence of the tumors, Kevin was operated on again.  Despite the surgery altering his stomach muscles, Kevin worked hard to remain on his swim team and then switched to water polo.  Although the primary tumor site has not been located, Kevin is not going to let uncertainty rule his life.  Instead, he plans to take his experience as a patient and turn it into a career as a nuclear medicine technologist, where undoubtedly his empathy for those undergoing radiation will contribute greatly to his success.  He will begin his preparation at the University of Utah this fall.  Kevin, you already know you are "one in a million" and now the world will know, too!   CONGRATULATIONS, KEVIN!     Already a student at Florida Gulf Coast University, ANNAMARIA WILLIAMS is 19 and has been dueling with a brain tumor since age 16.  AnnaMaria was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme and underwent surgery to remove the tumor, which left her with reduced sensation on her left side.  An avid runner, AnnaMaria  was forced to sit on the sidelines while frequent MRI's were performed to monitor her progress.  Unfortunately, a new formation was noted and 6 months later, AnnaMaria was having a second surgery mid-way through her junior year of high school which caused her to miss school.  During the summer between her junior and senior year, AnnaMaria began to experience problems in her legs and arms and was diagnosed with a recurrence.  A third surgery was performed, followed by a prolonged course of radiation and chemotherapy.  During this ordeal, AnnaMaria was able to graduate high school with her class although she had to give up all participation in her beloved sports.  Despite having spent so much of her young life in a medical environment, AnnaMaria wants to be a physician and is determined to reach her goal.  Cancer is no match for someone with this kind of courage! CONGRATULATIONS, ANNAMARIA!

At age 17, JAMES FOWKES has undergone more medical treatment than most people will in a lifetime.  James was diagnosed with medulloblastoma when he was just 13 years old and underwent surgery to remove the brain tumor, after which he was told that his dream of attending Stanford University would never come true.  Obviously whoever said that doesn't know James!  For 4 years following his diagnosis, James endured radiation, chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant while battling two recurrences of his cancer.  All the while, James kept his eye on the 'prize' and despite being quarantined at home in Oregon for much of his junior year, managed to keep up with his classes and raise over $100,000 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.  Despite these overwhelming obstacles, James has realized his goal and will be a freshman at Stanford this fall, pursuing a career in journalism.  Never say never to this young man!   CONGRATULATIONS, JAMES!     KENZIE DERR lives in Alabama and plans to attend Auburn University this fall to pursue a career as a psychologist.  Kenzie hopes to use her experiences as a cancer patient to assist others struggling with disabilities.  Diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma at age 7, Kenzie had her left leg amputated after many rounds of chemotherapy.  Then, at age 15, she learned that her cancer had returned, this time in her right ankle.  Amputation of her right foot was followed by a bone marrow transplant and her entire sophomore year was spent at home.  Undeterred, Kenzie returned to school as a junior during which she was Homecoming Queen, a class officer, a volunteer at a camp for children with cancer, and a teacher's assistant at Sunday school, just to name a few of her honors and activities.  As Kenzie puts it, she is "footless but not deFEETed."  We agree and wish her continued success!   CONGRATULATIONS, KENZIE!    MICHAEL HOLDERMAN is another cancer warrior who refuses to give in.  Michael, 19, is headed to Mercer University in his home state of Georgia to study biomedical engineering, where his goal is to develop better prosthetics.   His lifelong dream of playing football for the Ohio State Buckeyes was dashed when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at age 13.    Surgery to remove part of his femur and his quadriceps muscle, followed by intensive chemotherapy, was only the start of his perilous journey.  Michael's kidney was damaged from the chemo, which had to be stopped and left Michael essentially defenseless against the cancer.  A year later, a mass was discovered in his heart, leading to open heart surgery.  The failure of his leg to properly heal resulted in numerous bone grafts, rod replacements and frequent hospitalizations.  Mike's entire high school career was spent on treatment.  Did that deter him?  Nope!  Mike participated in the robotics team and discovered  he had a talent for building things.  He's now directing that talent at inventing a prosthetic that can be worn by someone who was amputated at the hip.  Out of his own difficult experience, Mike will make someone's life better.  What could be more worthwhile than that?   CONGRATULATIONS, MICHAEL!

KERRI HOLBROOK is looking forward to starting college this fall at Villanova University, where she hopes to attain a degree in communications.  Kerri has been fighting cancer since age 10, when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a cancer so rare in children that there is no known protocol for treatment.  Many surgeries followed as Kerri's tumor kept recurring, and her doctors eventually put her on an experimental drug regimen which she continues to this day.  Despite having so much of her high school years taken up with hospitalizations, chemo, scans and side effects from treatment, Kerri persevered and managed to participate in many school activities as her health allowed.  She plans to give back to those who helped her by using her degree for a career in fundraising for non-profit organizations.  We wish Kerri all the best in her ongoing battle. CONGRATULATIONS, KERRI!