Today we are excited to share with you another one of our top 5 nomination stories! We have received so many wonderful stories over the past few weeks through our Teen Fotostory project, and we are so excited to share them with you! All this week we will be sharing one story a day and will share the winner of the Teen Fotostory on Friday.
Fotolanthropy, Seniorologie, Altar’d State have all been touched by the teens that were nominated. They have all been through so much and they have all had remarkable strength! We received so many stories and it was so hard to pick but we have narrowed it down to five and want to share them with you.
McKenzi Nominee #2
Cancer Survivor. Using her gifts and creativity to give back to others.
(McKenzi on Left)
Today’s nomination comes from the mother of a 17-year-old named McKenzi. McKenzi was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2010, but rather than let this diagnosis get her down, McKenzi found a way to bond with others who had cancer and provide them with something that would help and bring smiles to their faces. During McKenzi’s cancer treatment she wore fluffy flip flops that everyone loved so she decided to create Fancy Feet.
Read McKenzi’s remarkable story of strength, faith and the ability to help others even when she was facing her own treatment. McKenzi’s mother shares here story.
Please describe the story of the nominee in full detail:
October 2010 our lives would be changed forever. McKenzi was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. We were both devasted, however, Kenzi fought this the whole way through with positiveness and strength I did not have. Kenzi kept me going and my strength grew stronger and I was able to stay positive with her. We had many trips to Seattle Childrens Hospital with great memories. Kenzi has a great friend who watches over her from above, Rochelle, who passed away from breast cancer which eventually spread everywhere. Rochelle and Kenzi’s bond was amazing! Rochelle told me, “I will not tell you I am sorry for this cancer, I will tell you it is a blessing.” She was right. Through this journey, we have seen babies, children and teenagers suffering. Kenzi realized she had an easy treatment versus theirs. We made a special friendship with little Johnathon, who was on chemo for 4 days straight when we met him and his family. One of the appointments Kenzi wore her fluffy flip flops to the hospital and everybody loved them!!! This is when Fancy Feet was born. Kenzi knew she needed to help them and bring smiles to their faces and let them forget about cancer for a few minutes. The first delivery was bags of kiddies that the girls from church helped put together, the second was flip flops then eventually Kenzi was able to do care packages for kids and teenagers in her own community. We have made trips to Seattle, Spokane and Portland for special deliveries. We find so much joy in these deliveries. Instant friendships are made! Check out her incredible business online here! www.fancyfeet.org
Please describe how this nominee is inspiring you and loved ones :
With each delivery Kenzi makes, the families we meet are so appreciative of her generosity. The parents love to watch their child’s eyes light up and a huge smile as their child is given a gift. Each package is customised to the child/teenager. We have so many friends, community members who are inspired to help Kenzi with her organization. Without them, we could not make this happen. Kenzi has spoken at a middle school, was the first person to sign a pink car named Nissy whose owner was traveling acoss the country to raise money for cancer, has spoken at 2 Make A Wish foundation events, several news interviews. Kenzi does not realize how much good she is doing for this community and the example she is setting for others of her age or young or older.
What life lessons have you learned from this story? :
That I take life for granted. Its not about me, its about helping others. To better myself on a daily basis. Everybody has a story behind their face. To treat others as I want to be treated. Love unconditionally. There are so many life lessons I learn on a daily basis from her. Kenzi sees life in a way I don’t understand now. This is something she is trying to teach me. I love her with all my heart and soul and thank God everyday I have her with me. She is here to continue her fight for those who have gone on before her and for those who are still fighting.
Why do you want to nominate this story? :
The reason why I want to nominate Kenzi is because she is an amazing person who has learned to love others before herself at a young age. Through this journey, that so many think is terrible, she was able to find the joy to bring to others. She is an amazing young lady who has a dream to make her organization HUGE! If Kenzi is to win this, her confidence in herself would increase 150%. This would help her organization be recognised by many people. I thank you for reading this and I hope you have been touched by her story like I have.
If you would like to give to our cause and make a donation to Fotolanthropy that will go towards the creation of the Teen Fotostory film, the product given to the winner and travel experience, please click on this link. Fotolanthropy Teen Fotostory Donation Because of your donation we can give more!!
Please feel free to leave comments below to encourage this inspiring teen!
Bayleigh is such an inspiration to everyone, I have never seen her beautiful face without a smile. Beauty just radiates from within her! I recently heard her speak at a Ladies Tea and she was so sick and another lady offered to read what she was going to say since Bayleigh was sick, , but Bayleigh said ‘No:God wants me to do this, and she did! She is so awesome and wise beyond her 15 years!
Having cancer at any age is hard, but as a pre-teen/teenager when everything in life is hard enough, Kenzi fought the fight. Kenzi was given to Tami at a very young age, but she has always been a gift from god every since her first breath. Mother and daughter bond couldn’t be closer. I am inspired daily by their courage and hope that when people read their story the are as moved as I have been.
As Kenzi’s grandmother, I have seen her go from a typical teen worrying about herself, boys, clothes and bad hair days to caring for children and teens going through cancer treatment. Caring enough to create her own non-profit organization Fancy Feet. As a teen it was very difficult to have her life turned upside down because of cancer. Yet she kept a positive attitude and fought through it, becoming a better person for it. She’s also learned that one of the things that she wants to do in life is to help others. I am so proud of who she has become. She is not only beautiful outside but inside as well.
I work for Aeropostale and every year we get to pick a charity of our choice for our Compassion Project week at work! I read about Fancy Feet in a newspaper article and knew instantly Fancy Feet was an organization Aeropostale needed to be a part of! I had the great pleasure of meeting McKenzi and her mom and all I can say is WOW!!! What a story of STRENGTH, PERSERVERANCE and COMPASSION!! The Heart this young lady has to want to GIVE back and put a smile on faces of those going thru what she has overcome is SELFLESS!!! Especially in this day and time….when so many young people are all about themselves thinking the world owes them!!! In my book McKenzi already IS A WINNER!!!!
I am a youth leader for a youth group McKinzi is a member of. We in our group are all so proud of McKinzi and her work with children with cancer. She has taken her experience and found a fun way to help others. We all took a night and made flip flops for Fancy Feet with our moms. It was a fun night and we all loved the cute patterns and the way that the flip flops turned out. McKinzi then took them to a hospital where they were distributed. We are all so proud of her and for the joy she shares and the times she spends. She is an inspiration to us all. We wish her well with Fancy Feet for years to come.
I am so glad that Kenzi is being recognized for the journey she has been on. Cancer is a devastating diagnosis, but she and her mom faced it with courage, perserverance, and strength. That something as good as Fancy Feet could come from all this, is a testament to the positive attitude of Kenzi. She is still forging new territory as a cancer survivor, and will continue to grow and learn. God has big plans for Kenzi…