Cancer is a difficult subject; almost everyone has either known someone with cancer or they themselves have experienced it.

When it comes to childhood cancer the topic takes on an even more heartbreaking turn.  Whatever your experience, cancer is a topic people can relate to in their own way and is something that brings people together.

Leukemia Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) “Light the Night Walk” is one of the many events that brings people together who want to help support survivors, those that lost their battle and those who are still fighting against cancer.

It is a walk to raise awareness for blood related cancers and also to raise money to fund better drugs that will eventually lead to a cure for blood related cancers.

One of RV’s very own, freshman, Grace Koontz, is leading the charge for Denver’s Light the Night Walk on Thursday, October 1st in Washington Park.

Koontz is a loving sister, daughter, dear friend, and, most of all, a survivor.

Koontz and I shared the same journey over 10 years ago in our own fight against childhood Leukemia. Koontz was diagnosed four days before her first birthday and endured years of chemotherapy, radiation, hospital stays, two life threatening illnesses, and two relapses.

She received a bone marrow transplant on Christmas Eve, 2003, and has been cancer free for almost 12 years.

Koontz is by far one of the strongest, most tenacious and courageous people I have ever known. However, being a survivor cannot eliminate the many side effects from cancer treatment that can affect your life forever.

For Koontz, cancer’s legacy is that she has to battle seizures every day, one of the many effects from the full body radiation she underwent in preparation for her bone marrow transplant–saving her life but with a price to pay.

Of course, the impact of these seizures affects her life on a daily basis; she still maintains a cheerful outlook on life and manages to have fun despite these challenges.

Like her name, she bears all of this with the grace, determination and strength that is an inspiration to us all. Koontz has always been a lover of music; she loves to play the piano and enjoys being a part of the RV choir.

“RV is a good school, a lot of good people,” Koontz said. “I love having lunch with everyone and I like P.E. The soccer and cross country days are really fun. I’m making lots of new friends.”

Grace’s older sister, Olivia, her younger sister, Isabel, and mother and father, Jim and Jeanine Koontz, have been walking as Team Grace at Light the Night for 13 years.  In total, Team Grace has raised $35,000 dollars over that time.

“I love the Light the Night walks,” Grace said. “It’s really great seeing everyone being so supportive of me and others. Everyone walks with me and it’s fun, we feel together.”

Light the Night will take place on Thursday, October 1, in Denver’s Washington Park.

If you would like to donate or just read more about Grace’s courageous walk, follow the link to Team Grace posted below. Please walk and support this amazing girl, for she is a miracle.

http://pages.lightthenight.org/rm/DenverL15/jkoontz

http://pages.lightthenight.org/rm/DenverL15/TeamGrace