We are honored to announce Alex’s Army has awarded Collegiate scholarships to 3 truly inspirational athletes who have each battled cancer: Katie Gardiner, Chris Orne, and Olivia Bartrum each received a $3,000 scholarship towards their college expenses.
About the Scholarship Recipients:
Katie Gardiner is a Senior at Northwest High School who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the age of 2.
Following her diagnosis Katie underwent 2 ½ years of chemotherapy, surgeries, and had over 28 spinal taps which while cured her of her cancer left her with long-term side effects that have challenged her over the years. Katie said even though things were very difficult at times her family kept a positive outlook and strong faith through it all. When she was a little older, Katie jumped into sports joining both a summer swim team and club soccer and while both were challenging and difficult for her – they were also incredibly freeing, and she found joy in being a part of a team. In middle school she discovered she had a love for volleyball and while yet again she was challenged physically she did all she could in extra training and practice to make the team. In addition to volleyball, she enjoys weight-lifting and track & field. Through extra hours and hard work on the Track & Field team she placed at Regionals which she shared was a high point for her to see the results of all her effort. At Northwest she played Varsity Volleyball and was the Team Captain this past year.
However, beyond all her athletic accomplishments, Katie finds joy in the success of not only herself – but in others. Katie shared with us, “This past year really showed me that sometimes it isn’t just about you but the happiness of others. Especially as Captain, it is about the good for all. We must stand by each other when it gets tough and sometimes put others needs ahead of our own. Looking back, I know that is what my family did for me when I was sick. Both my sisters had to pause their activities and childhood events so that my parents could be with me at the hospital and therapies after treatment. Being a part of a team is like being a part of a family.”
Katie will graduate Northwest High School with a 4.74 GPA and in the top percentage of her class with several honors. Katie has decided to pursue studies in Adapted Physical Education/Physical Education/Early Childhood Education to be able to pay it forward and make a difference for other kids – Please join us in wishing Katie all the best as she starts the next chapter of her life!
Chris Orne is a Freshman at the University of Central Florida who was diagnosed with Wilms Tumor in 2012 at 7 years old.
Chris was born with hemihypertrophy of his left leg which can be a precursor for certain types of cancers including Wilms. For years’ growing up Chris had scans as precaution to look for cancer and on one of the last scans just before he would be considered in the clear – the doctors found a tumor. Chris immediately underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatment and during this time Chris, like many kids diagnosed with cancer, found himself isolated and missing the normalcy of school, hanging with his friends, and playing sports. Although it was incredibly difficult at times, Chris maintained a positive attitude through it all. Just before middle school Chris’ family moved to Florida which by that time Chris was cancer-free! He started playing sports again but found a real love for basketball. He played middle school basketball but just before his 8th grade season Chris & his family learned he would have to have surgery on his leg. Although Chris was devastated to not be able to play his last year of middle school – he later realized that the timing was a blessing in disguise and that following that surgery he was able to train and push himself to be healthy, strong, and ready to play in high school which was more competitive and would have been more devastating to miss. Today Chris is just finishing his freshman year of college. He loves the college atmosphere and plays several intramural sports and college club teams in Volleyball, Dodgeball, Flag Football, and of course Basketball.
Chris shared in his essay, “We all have challenges and setbacks. I feel like it’s how we respond and bounce back to them that tells us who we are as a person, as a student, or as a son. Anything may happen to anyone; it’s how you get back up, deal with disappointments, and move on with matters. Cancer gave me a mentality to never give up on yourself and trust God. I am who I am today because of my experiences.”
Chris is following his passion for aviation and working to become a commercial pilot. We are honored to be able to help in a small way towards Chris’ efforts to one day soar among the clouds!
On a personal note, we are so honored to have gotten to watch Chris grow over the years. He and our Alex were friends, and our families would often meet up at various 5Ks or other childhood cancer fundraising and awareness events. This is one of my favorite pictures of Chris & Alex at a Team Mathias 5K event. While both boys were active and strong, Alex got tired towards the end of the 5K and Chris didn’t hesitate to jump in and push for a bit. We will forever be a part of Chris’ Crew and the Orne family will forever be a part of Alex’s Army.
Please join us in congratulating Chris and wishing him the very best today and every day ahead!
Olivia Bartrum is a senior at Wakefield High School in Arlington, VA who was diagnosed with Wilms Tumor at 2 years old.
Olivia has an incredible way with words and we were blown away at her ability to paint such a clear picture of what it was like to fight cancer at such a young age and to grow up in a pediatric oncology unit. How she found comfort & met first friends at the art table which she spent many years during and after treatment. She shared, “I was captivated by a table graffitied with blots of marker and paint. The truth is, once I sat down, I never wanted to leave. With a colored pencil in hand, I illustrated imaginary creatures, taking inspiration from the likes of children’s movies. I found comfort crafting cliché tales of heroism, ones in which the protagonist would defeat combatants with ease. What I didn’t come to understand, however, was that these characters symbolized my own battle, masking the true antagonist: cancer.”
Olivia shared that she later turned to athletics initially as an outlet to help process the pain and loss she felt in losing a friend to cancer. As the years progressed she found a greater purpose in each tennis competition comparing each match to a fight and victory over cancer. “A racket in hand, my stories are no longer imaginative. Each match tells a tale of grief and resilience, representing lost opportunities among the children that came before me. Serving as varsity captain over the past three years, I have had the unique opportunity to instill similar mindsets among my peers. Working as a district representative for my region’s tennis program, I have expanded the scope of the sport, hoping to provide more students with an outlet for personal and emotional struggles.”
In addition to her talents on the tennis court, Olivia more than excels academically. She has earned a multitude of academic awards, research awards, and last summer completed an NIH summer internship program at Children’s National regarding the manufacture of antigen-specific T cells for cancer immunotherapy. She recently was the Grand Prize Awardee for her study ‘Harnessing the Signalosome to Enhance Ex-Vivo Generation of Tumor Antigen-Specific T-Cells’ at the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair (VSSEF) at Old Dominion University. Olivia has over 160 volunteer and leadership hours contributing however she can in through various projects whether it’s advocacy work with ACS (American Cancer Society), packing meals for families in Haiti, or tutoring students to help them excel as well.
“Visiting the oncology ward in long-term remission, I returned to the art room. I began to look around, realizing it wasn’t just (my friend’s) story that was untold. Chairs at the art table continued to disappear, falling into what mimicked an epidemic. I knew there was still work to be done.”
Olivia’s resume is incredibly impressive coming out of High School and we know this amazing young lady will go on to do incredible work ahead! Please join us in congratulating Olivia and wishing her all the best in the next chapter of her story!