Creativity Abounds

What inspires Monse? The brilliant colors of the sunset. As a budding photographer, this creative 16-year-old likes capturing the pinks, purples, and blues that she loves so much. She also enjoys painting, exploring new places, and playing the ukulele.

When Monse was diagnosed with AML in 2015, she faced the challenge with considerable grace. In fact, before she started chemotherapy, she even cut off her thick, waist-length hair and donated it to the Angel Hair Foundation.

A Role Model

Monse’s siblings share her generous spirit. After her first bone marrow transplant from her little sister Emily, her older brother Jonathan stepped up as a donor for a second transplant. He says the experience gave him a new perspective on what Monse is going through. “Whenever I felt uncomfortable, I thought, ‘Wow, she does this every single day. I need to man up!’ She’s definitely a role model for me.”

Although her treatments aren’t much fun, Monse says hanging out with her Chemo Pal, Shannon, is an awesome distraction. “We play games, we paint our nails, and we speak Spanish together,” she said. “During treatment you can’t always have a lot of visitors, so it’s really nice to have someone there.”

Monse’s Heroes

While Monse was inpatient at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, she met two other kids, David and Aaron, who were also fighting cancer. She says their strength made them heroes to her. “They both went through more stuff than I did, and they just kept going. That has inspired me to keep going too.”