After Samantha was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, she had chemotherapy treatments (lasting 3-5 days) every three weeks at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, numerous CT/MRI scans, surgeries, and physical therapy to help her regain her ability to walk again. This once active and vibrant teenager left behind going to school, spending time with friends, and playing basketball to undergo surgeries, chemotherapy treatments, and spent most of her time either in the hospital or at home recovering from her treatments in the hospital to prepare for her next.

Something a child of cancer wants is to just have a “normal” life again, away from the medications and hospitals and surgeries. Samantha says, “As you can see...I can be perfectly normal one day by hanging out with friends, going to school, planning on seeing a Broadway show, and the next day be in the hospital, hooked up to an IV, and missing out on that same Broadway show I was so looking forward too. That's what makes life for me so hard. I try and be as normal as possible, but something is always there, reminding me that "Oh yeah, I do have cancer. Shucks."

Finding the strength as an adult is hard enough, but to be faced with life and death situations as a child is another realm. “It's a tough thing to deal with as an adult, but as a kid, it's even harder to comprehend. I know that only too well. No one should have to go through what we have to, but most of them do it wonderfully,” says Samantha.

On May 31, 2006, Samantha was diagnosed with cancer. After one full year of grueling chemotherapy, intense surgeries and what seemed like an eternity of physical therapy to be able to walk again, on May 31, 2007, Samantha had survived.

“Making it one full year is an incredible feeling for me. Thinking back to that awful day, I remember Dr. Cripe saying, “Give me one year of your life. Just one year, and we will make you better.” Well Dr. Cripe, there is your one year that you wanted. Don’t expect anymore! Haha. That day, almost 365 days ago, I thought that 1 year couldn’t come quick enough, that it was too much to ask of me. Little did I know about the amazing experiences I would soon have. Learning what it was like to be called a “child of cancer”. Meeting so many people, that would teach me so many lessons. Losing my hair and realizing that your hair doesn’t make you you. Knowing what it’s like to have to fight for your life. Finally realizing that being brave isn’t just the Super Girl or Bat Woman kind. Helping other people make it through what they’re going through, just by being there for them. I’ve learned all those things, and more, in just 365 ¼ days.”

To Samantha, “the bad days are coming to an end, and the good days are just beginning. I cannot wait until I don't have to worry about counts and chemo and meds. It’s like a million pound weight off my shoulders. And I know it won't magically go back to the way it used to be, it'll take time. Months, years even. But someday I'll look back at all this and say, "Oh, now I know why I this happened to me." Everything happens for a reason, it may sound cliche, but I know that it's true. I don't know why this happened to me now, but someday I will. And when that day comes, I'll look back and say, "Now I get it. It all makes sense now."

Battling cancer is something that Samantha, her family, and her friends will never forget. But being the victim of cancer again is something that they will always fear. All Samantha and her loved ones can do now is to continue living and surviving, one day at a time. And of course, they hope to hear from now forward that, “the scans are CLEAN. That there is nothing even questionable that say cancer.”

“I hope that if people realize that if someone can beat cancer, anyone can do anything,” says Samantha.

Samantha feeding the giraffes at the San Diego Zoo

Sponsored by the Little Stars Foundation

Summer 2007

Today, Samantha is a freshman in high school and enjoys being in school again with all of her friends. She participates in the drama club at her school, where she acted in the school play, Showkidz, in Fall 2007. Sam and her younger sister, Margaret, went to Camp Joy over Summer 2007, sponsored by Cincinnati Children's Hospital for children with cancer and their siblings, and also went on a life-changing trip to San Diego with other teen cancer survivors with Andrea Jeager, founder of The Little Stars Foundation. Recently, the Morrissey Family finished their basement with the help of friends, local companies and organizations who all graciously donated their time to help the Morrissey's finish their basement. This gave the Morrissey's more space to be able to lounge around, spend time with friends, and have fun. Once the basement was furnished, Make a Wish Foundation helped Samantha and her family jazz up their basement a bit more by adding a mattress, pool table, mini-refrigerator and a Wii. Samantha is now an active member in her community to help the Cincinnati Children's Hospital and other foundations supporting children with cancer to help promote awareness and to aid in the search for a cure from cancer.

...Everything is possible for one who believes...

-Angela Morrissey, Proud Mom of Samantha