At just 18 months old, David was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma and was treated at Texas Children’s Hospital. Now 12 years old, David has started a non-profit that raises money to buy toys for pediatric cancer patients. His non-profit began by his mother asking him how he wanted to commemorate pediatric cancer awareness month in September. David, being only 6 years old, decided he wanted to “buy toys for kids with cancer.”
David memorizes script to ask everyone he passed by to donate to his cause. He even sets up a stand in his neighborhood to collect money. His very first year David raised $1,100 to buy 220 toys for children. Today, he even gets corporate donations.
I am inspired by David’s non-profit and the social impact he is making. David took his own experience being a pediatric cancer patient and used that to help others like him. It shows the immense empathy young David had to be only 6 years old and want to give back. I see how David, along with his family, took this horrible situation in their life and used it for good. David’s mom notes how they had to cling to focusing on the positives, which in turn is one of the reasons they started the non-profit. This model shows the entrepreneurial mind of David being empathic and using his own experiences to make a different in the world. He is meeting a need that he experienced firsthand. I think we can all learn from David, at only 6 he wanted give back to those who are in the situation he was in.
David turned a seemingly terrible situation and turned it into something positive by wanting to help out children that were dealing with cancer just like him. It is amazing that he came up with a great idea at a very young age. I am glad he was able to overcome adversity and become successful.
This is a very inspiring story. David, at a young age, was able to use his own pain to inspire an incredible nonprofit business. We should all strive to be this joyful in the midst of our problems and seek to be inspired by them. Additionally, innovative ideas can come from anyone at any age! If this little boy is already coming up with ways to help those in need, imagine what he will do when he is older.
It is interesting how a young kid can take their tragic illness and use their experiences to help ease the pain and sufferings of others.