“Something that really resonates with me is the saying, ‘Not everything that happens is good, but good can come from everything that happens,’ and I think that kind of embodies what I’ve been through,” said Junior Molly Lawrence.
Everyone has a story that shapes who they are.
The summer before her eighth grade year, Lawrence was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.
Although this played a large role in determining where Lawrence is now, it did not make her who she is.
Instead, she has taken these experiences and molded them with her kind heart, using her story to better herself and those around her.
Each person she encounters is met by a “happy… little ball of sunshine, and I think when she’s around other people, she brings that happiness out,” said Junior Maya Yabes.
During Lawrence’s freshman year, she finished treatment and returned to school.
However, at the end of her sophomore year, she experienced a recurrence and had to miss the end of that year as well as the beginning of her junior year.
Throughout her treatment “on and off for the last couple years,” one aspect that has been consistently important to Lawrence is “the different types of therapy that I’ve received and had access to. One of my favorites was something called animal assisted therapy that they have at Phoenix Children’s [Hospital] (PCH), and it’s where volunteers can bring their dogs in and visit patients throughout the hospital,” said Lawrence.
Lawrence’s love for dogs is not a secret; in fact, English Teacher Amanda Morari, who, before getting a job at Sunnyslope, was Lawrence’s eighth grade distance learning teacher, said “dogs always remind me of her.”
They even bring Lawrence such joy that she created a Snapchat private story called “hospital dogs” just to post photos of the different dogs that came to visit.
Because these dogs played such a large role in Lawrence’s testimony, “PetSmart charities recently made a $25,000 donation in my honor to the animal assisted therapy department at Phoenix Children’s,” said Lawrence.
PCH is able to offer programs like this thanks to generous donations such as PetSmart’s.
A significant contributor to Phoenix Children’s fundraising is their annual “Ignite Hope” event, where thousands of supporters join in a candlelit walk in order to uplift patients in the holiday season.
For the 2024 Ignite Hope walk, Lawrence had the opportunity to lead.
Lawrence said “The Ignite Hope walk was super special. I had finished chemo a couple months earlier, so it was a nice closure, and I really got to be the head of that campaign. I got to kind of make it my own and talk about the issues that were important to me, like mental health during treatment… It was kind of just an experience about spreading joy and hope, and that’s something that’s near and dear to my heart.”
And as always, she had a large support system right behind her.
Junior Tommy Reeve attended in support of Lawrence and her family, not knowing what to expect.
Lawrence’s message left Reeve “feel[ing] really emotional, and it was really eye opening, because although I’m close to her, I didn’t always see what really happened behind the scenes… I’m glad I saw it, because I have a different appreciation for her.”
Morarai also attended and said “I was so proud of her for taking that on and for talking in front of all of those people and being so incredible and so passionate and just the growth that she’s made as a human and as a young woman, since I first met her.”
Through the event, Lawrence not only impacted her own circle, but was able to reach hundreds of kids going through experiences similar to her own.
Junior Jonny Tejada said, “After everything she’s been through, I feel like she’s just been really influential for a lot of different kids and families.”
None of this would have been possible without Lawrence’s willingness to make “something good” come from everything she has been through.
“She’s always giving, a very giving person that’ll just always willing to give back to people,” said Junior Ryan Randall.
This has been evident through Lawrence’s numerous engagements, where she works to inspire children with experiences similar to her own.
Lawrence said “I’ve become really passionate about giving back and helping others who are going through similar things that I went through, and I’ve had the opportunity to speak at a lot of different events put on by Phoenix Children’s and Make a Wish, and I just get to kind of share my story and my input, and I get to help resolve certain issues. I’m also on the advisory board at Phoenix Children’s… and I get to talk to a lot of people, whether that’s patients, families, doctors, donors, kind of all the people who make it happen.”
To have a journey like Lawrence’s is impossible to imagine.
She’s had to adopt incredible bravery and resilience in order to get where she is today.
But she has shown the world that no matter how hard a situation is, everything has a purpose.
Her purpose has revealed itself to be spreading hope, positivity, and words of wisdom, whether that’s through heading a campaign, speaking at events, or simply sharing her love for dogs.
