When I received this assignment, I thought that it would be effortless. I thought I could come up with a funny story or just explain the real reason why I am here, in scientific terms. I have been told by many people why I am here, but I am not convinced by their stories. To be completely honest, I don’t know the real reason why I am here.

When I was ten years old, I was diagnosed with cancer. I went from shopping at the mall and hanging out with my friends, to being confined in a hospital room. I was put on 16 different chemotherapy drugs, given total body and pin-pointed radiation, numerous formidable surgeries, and a bone marrow transplant. I was given a 25 percent chance of living. After that, I counted myself as dead. I guess you could say I was put through the wringer. Sometimes I have a mindset that I am here just to be physically tortured.

On the other hand, maybe I am here because I was meant to become ill, and tell my story to comfort other children still fighting cancer. My family, friends, and even complete strangers, who have heard my story, call me a walking miracle. People look at me as an inspiration, someone they can look up to. What I am trying to say, is maybe I am here because I was meant to help others and to give them faith, not only in themselves, but in life. I hope that is the real explanation why I am here.

This assignment has been extremely difficult to write. I do not know myself as well as I thought, and my optimism is not very good. Although this has taken me almost all day, I still am not quite sure why I was put here. I am sure that other students in your class will come up with a funny or scientific story to write as their essay, but I hope that my essay will give you an idea of who I am, what my story is, and maybe then you could be one of the many people to answer a question I ask myself often, why am I here?