A heartwarming visit to Miller Children's and Women's Hospital

During my trip to Los Angeles, I met up with Starlight Children’s Foundation Senior Vice President Chris De Haan and visited teens living with cancer at Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital in Long Beach. We went from room to room, passing out copies of WARHEAD that Random House Children’s Books was kind enough to donate, and talking with teens living with cancer and their families. When I shared that I once had cancer, heads perked up, eyebrows raised, and smiles formed. One young woman, a cancer patient who had just turned 18, couldn’t believe the summary we gave her of WARHEAD. “I’m going to read this!” she said, smiling. “Like, the second you get out of here.”

I can’t tell you how heartwarming it is to give something—whether inspiration, hope, curiosity, or even just a touch of happiness—to kids living with cancer. It’s the purpose of Starlight, and they gave all of those positive emotions to me three decades ago, when I was a teen battling cancer. I’m finally starting to repay the debt.

Many thanks to the team at Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital, Chris De Haan, and Starlight. If you’d like to help put a smile on the faces of kids facing major health challenges, consider making a gift to Starlight. It will make you smile, too.