Sarah Conway, 13, shows the ribbon she created to honor her friends who are also fighting cancer. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Alex McCready, 15, holds his little sister, Brielle, as they place personalized awareness ribbons on a tree outside Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Taegan Custard, 5, is all smiles as he soaks up sunshine outside the hospital room where he receives treatment for leukemia. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Sarah places a ribbon she made in a tree near the circle drive for Spectrum Health Butterworth and Helen DeVos Children's hospitals. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Taegan enjoys the wagon ride as he is pulled by his dad, Colin. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Taegan made a fashion statement with his ribbon, wearing it like a necktie. He gets a little help from Child Life specialist Rhys VanDemark. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Sarah is taking on osteosarcoma with help from friends on the ninth floor of the children's hospital. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
"Nobody knows what they are going through better than they do," VanDemark said. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Sarah, who is from Benton Harbor, has a plan for her future. "I want to be a doctor that cares for lung cancer patients," she said. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Alex is finishing up treatment for leukemia and will soon be heading home to Sault Ste. Marie. (Chris Clark | Spectrum Health Beat)
Last week, Sarah, Alex McCready, 15, and Taegan Custard, 5, ventured outside the hospital to send messages of hope, awareness and strength to other children battling cancer.
“Nobody knows what they are going through better than they do,” said Child Life specialist Rhys VanDemark, who helped the young patients create personalized gold ribbons they placed on trees near the hospital.
Alex is finishing up treatment for leukemia and will soon be heading home to Sault Ste. Marie. “The most important thing is to keep on smiling and stay positive,” he said.
Taegan made a fashion statement with his ribbon, wearing it like a necktie. The Cheboygan boy is fighting leukemia and mostly enjoyed the wagon ride.
Sarah, who is from Benton Harbor, has a plan for her future. “I want to be a doctor that cares for lung cancer patients,” she said.
God bless each and every one of them. They are earth angels.