Who Is That Little Girl? She's Samantha Hughes.

If you're a fan or friend of ours, you've seen this beautiful little girl on our page. Even though I post her website with her picture, some people still ask "Who is that little girl?"

Well, I could tell you a lot of things that I've learned about Samantha Hughes from her website...like:

She was born on March 18, 2003 or that she lived in the UK or that her brother, Louis, was also diagnosed with cancer in March of 2001 at the age of 18 months old.

I could tell you that Samantha's favorite color was purple or that she loved Finding Nemo & Nanny McPhee. Or I could even tell you about all of the stories that were published about her in newspapers or about how heart wrenching it was to read her story on her website.

I could tell you a lot of things that I learned about Samantha Hughes...but instead, I'm going to tell you what I learned FROM Samantha Hughes.

When I first stumbled across Samantha's page, I was not looking for a story or a major life changing event in my life; I was looking for a picture. I wanted a picture to hang at my desk to remind me how often cancer steals a precious life. I wanted a reminder of how messed up this world is, so I would be reminded to be THANKFUL for everything in my own life. To help me find a way to help others; to find a purpose. That may sound terrible, but I'm just telling the truth. Please bare with me through this entire blog post.

During my quest to find the perfect picture to break my heart into Thankfulness, I ran across this picture of a beautiful little girl!

The Little Girl on the TOP is Samantha Hughes....The Little Girl on the BOTTOM.....

Is my niece, Preslie. Did my heart break into Thankfulness at that moment, yes and no, my heart was just BROKEN- for lack of a better word.
With her hair down, Preslie has that amazingly crazy curly hair that everyone is jealous of (that, of course, she hates), I was AMAZED. Their eyes look alike, and they are both the same age in these pictures and in real life. They have the same little smile! I was in SHOCK. They look so much alike!

These two little girls have NOTHING in common and are from 2 different sides of the world, but Preslie is, and always has been, a huge part of my life; and Samantha has changed my life forever. So, now, these two little girls have something in common- Me.

And in that moment of realization, something changed- This was no longer just a picture of a little girl, this was a beautiful LIFE...a baby that was birthed and cared for by her mother. A child that laid helpless in a hospital bed while there was nothing more the doctors could do to save her life. This was no longer a picture- this was a sickening possibility....not for just Preslie, but for ALL of the Children in my life! Cancer is a very random disease, it does not care what color of skin you have or how old you are. Cancer is a frightening possibility. It's a possibility for me, for my mother and father, for my niece and nephews and for everyone else in my life. Just the thought of one of my little ones having cancer tore me apart.

I spent the rest of the day reading about Samantha on her website (http://samanthahughes.co.uk/index.htm) and fighting back tears. It was like trying to stop a flood- impossible.

It was at that moment that I began to brainstorm on ways to help. I thought of MANY different possibilities...and then I thought of Battle4aCure. I thought about it a lot. I dreamt about it. A part of me was ready to dive right in, and another part of me kept saying "It's too big, you could never do that!" This went on for MONTHS. (And I never did anything except read Sam's website)

Then, I met Cameron. Long story short, Cameron and I work together and we started hanging out a lot. One day he asked me "What do you want to do with your life?" Naturally, I laughed. I have been nagged with this question since I quit college. So, he asked me "Amanda, what are you passionate about?" Quickly, my response was "Kids." Everyone knows this is the absolute truth. I LOVE KIDS! Then, I started telling him about my dreams for Battle4aCure...and something happened that day-

He Believed in My Dreams! He encouraged me to turn my dreams into a reality to help these kids and their families. And that's how I started Battle4aCure.

It all started with a picture. One picture has completely changed my life. However, I look at Samantha's picture as a celebration and reminder of LIFE, not death. She was an AMAZING little girl! There are videos of her singing "It's Too Late To Apologize" by OneRepublic and jumping on the bed with her brother, Louis, on her website. She reminds me SO much of Preslie.

And that's where the slogan came from-

"The Reason Why We Fight Is Simple...

We Cant Imagine Life Without Them."

I can not imagine my life without my niece or nephews. My heart aches for Samantha's family, she earned her angel wings on April 15, 2008. Her page is a celebration of her LIFE...as she lived hers to the FULLEST!

I know a lot about Samantha Hughes, but unfortunately she will never know how much she changed my life!

BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE AND FIGHT FOR WHAT'S IMPORTANT!

(In Loving Memory of Samantha Hughes)

-Amanda Harbin-

Founder of Battle4aCure