My name is Alex Mason.  I am 22 years old.  I am proud to be a cancer survivor.  I am an avid tea drinker, animal lover, and mental health advocate. I live in beautiful Maysville, Kentucky with my fiancé, two pugs, and two cats.

On February 21, 2011, at the age of 11, I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia – a diagnosis that would  change my life forever.  Little did I know I was in for the most intense 2 1/2 years of my life:  going to doctor appointments, having several major surgeries, learning the names of chemo drugs I never thought I would need to know, and SO MANY needle sticks. There were ups and downs in my cancer journey, but one thing that remained the same was my spunk.  I never wanted to give up.  In fact, I wanted to kick its butt.  Then, in July 2013, I learned I had kicked cancer.  I will never forget the amazing team of doctors, therapists, community, and family support that was shown to me.  I will never forget the love and support of the American Cancer Society.

I became a Voice of Hope in early 2013.  It was then that I found a group of people who wanted to hear my story as much as I wanted to hear theirs.  I was honored to speak at several events across the state of Kentucky, including: churches, school events, fundraisers, and Relay for Life. I am also the proud team lead of Alex’s Golden Angels Relay team.  Every year I strive to make my local Relay for Life an event where people of all ages can come and learn about cancer.

Having gone through cancer at such a young age, I found myself wanting to advocate for children.  Now, I am beyond happy to say that I get to do this every day as a job.  Having cancer as a child is not easy, but children are resilient, strong, and oh so spunky.  I want my story to be shared as a reminder to cancer survivors to never lose their spunk and together, we can all kick cancer.