Redding Teen: “Kids Can Make a Difference”
When 13-year old Katelyn Peterson of Redding learned that a close friend of the family, Lisa Franks, was battling breast cancer, she told her mother she wanted to shave her head so Lisa would know she was not alone during her fight against cancer.
Katelyn’s mother, Jessica Peterson, Controller and Finance Manager at Shasta Orthopaedics, took Katelyn to a local hair salon and filmed as Katelyn went from long locks to shaved pate and posted the video on YouTube.
That was in early April. Since then, Katelyn has been inspired to start up an organization called Kids4Healing that brings together other children who want to show support for others with cancer. “I think I was meant to do something big in my life” says Katelyn. “I know I can make a difference.” Katelyn and her brother Austin started a team for Relay for Life and they are now looking for sponsorships from individuals and businesses to meet their $500 goal before the event on June 7.
Jessica, herself a cancer survivor, says “Katelyn and Austin are just now at an age where they understand what it means to have cancer. They see Lisa and what she’s going through and they want to help. It amazes me that my teenage daughter would stand up for something she believes in and not worry about what others might say about her. She shaved her head because it was important for her to support her friend. I’m so proud of her.”
Including the Relay for Life team, Katelyn and Austin have created a fundraising video that is posted to YouTube, they have a Facebook page and Katelyn was interviewed by KRCR TV to promote her Kids4Healing organization.
Katelyn’s goal is to EMPOWER other kids to get involved and make a difference in those fighting cancer because she knows kids CAN and DO make a difference.
Links
Donate to their Relay for Life team here:
Kids4Healing Relay for Life
You can visit their Facebook page at:
Facebook.com/Kids4healing
You can email them here:
Kids4Healing@yahoo.com
Videos
To learn more about Kids4Healing, click any of the links below to see the videos.