Hannah Smith is a nineteen year old soon to be sophomore at Northern Michigan University where she is majoring in multimedia journalism with a double minor in international studies and photography. While still in the womb she developed Neuroblastoma stage 4s. Thanks to the amazing doctors at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, and after several surgeries and numerous treatments, Smith is almost ten years cancer free.

Smith has been a camper at Camp One Step for twelve years. Camp One Step, run by Children’s Oncology Services and recognized by Charity Navigator as a 4-Star charity, is a program for both cancer survivors and children still going through treatment—not only a place that allows kids with cancer to come to camp where they can just be kids again, but empowering children who have been diagnosed with cancer to find new hope and believe in a brighter future. Over the last 40 years Camp One Step has been able to serve more than 16,500 campers. Much of the growth started when the NAILBA Charitable Foundation awarded Children’s Oncology Services a generous grant.

This summer will be Smith’s last year as a camper at Camp One Step, however she has never been more excited as she works to become a camp counselor and to give back to the place that has given her so much.

For more information about Camp One Step and hopefully to make a donation, please visit www.camponestep.org. For more information about the NAILBA Charitable Foundation visit www.nailbacharitablefoundation.org.

Hannah Smith is the daughter of Mike Smith, CPS Horizon Financial, Hales Corners, WI. Comments or questions for the author can be directed via email to mike@cpshorizon.com.