As a young child, Kat was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor and has undergone three extensive surgeries. Though thankfully not cancerous, it has been hard physically and emotionally over the past 15 years, and there are times when Kat has not been able to think or move.
A year ago, Kat had the opportunity to Make a Wish. Instead of choosing to meet a celebrity or take a trip of a lifetime, she chose to give back — Goal 3 of Sacred Heart education in action! Her dream was to partner with ENewton Design to raise money and awareness for Pediatric Brain Tumor Research. By helping to raise funds for research, she will make a difference in the lives of children for years to come.
Katherine shares:
When I applied for Make-A-Wish, I had no clue what I wanted to do. Many things kept inspiring me to make an impact in what I chose. So we took a chance and reached out to the one and only enewton design.
Many of you have maybe heard me speak about my wonderful neurosurgeon, Dr. Jeffery Leonard, who has treated me for 15 years. He has changed my life in so many ways, and I wanted to change his too. Being one of his longest patients is a great honor, but it also means my journey has been long. With all of those countless hours of recovery, why not try and change the future of medicine?
That is why I wanted to give money to him and his research. He is one of the top researchers in pediatric neurosurgery and does it with the help of The Ohio State University School of Medicine.
So to all of my Saint Louis friends, please join us on Sunday, October 19 at The Cat’s Meow Boutique at 4 p.m. for an incredible launch.
Katherine graduated in May from Lutheran High School where she earned honors all four years. She is now studying pre-dentistry at University of Missouri — St. Louis. She recently wrote, “My favorite part of ASH is the community. Over the years it has been valuable to look back on all the friendships and the goodness that has been created by this community. Coming back and visiting many teachers is always the best. I am very grateful my parents gave me the gift of an ASH education.”
Let’s show Katherine the strength of our Academy community and help support her in Goal 3 of Sacred Heart education!
