Running for a Cause: A Survivor Accepts the Challenge to Change Childhood Cancer
We knew we had to catch up with Tough Cookie Haldora Churchill when we saw she had registered for the 2024 Good Cookie Challenge - her fourth annual! This is what she wrote on her fundraising page:
Haldora's mom Jessica has also been involved with Cookies for years and serves on our Board of Directors. And let's not forget Haldora's twin brother Hunt, an avid baker, committed to fundraising (and of course supporting his sister) by hosting bake sales. In 2022, Haldora and Hunt were even named Good Cookies of the Year at Chefs for Kids' Cancer Charlotte. A well deserved honor for the unstoppable teens.
It's definitely a family effort in the Churchill household. We're so glad that Haldora, who is sixteen years old now, was open to sharing more!
C4KC: It's been over 13 years since your diagnosis. Tell us more.
Haldora: I was diagnosed with T-Cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) at two and a half years old, and my treatment lasted two and a half years.
C4KC: Even though you were just a toddler, what do remember from that time?
Haldora: I remember very little about the beginning of my treatment, but I do remember going to the clinic I was treated at frequently along with the caring doctors and nurses who took care of me there. I have some memories of going through treatment, but I was really too young to process and understand what I was going through at the time.
C4KC: What stands out to you about your experience?
Haldora: My experience makes me feel so many tough emotions when I think about it - happiness that I am healthy and survived it, helplessness and fear for my younger self and what I went through at the time...also, sadness to think that so many other children have gone and will go through something similar.
C4KC: We know your twin brother Hunt was by your side and a big support. Reflecting on that time, tell us how that helped you.
Haldora: Hunt helped me so much when I was younger, always cheering me up and keeping me company whenever I needed someone. It definitely helped to have him make me laugh or just sit with me when it got really tough, especially because he was my age and didn’t understand what I was going through any better than I did, he just wanted to help me feel better.
C4KC: How did you get into running (we're impressed!)?
Haldora: I started running when I found out about Girls on the Run at my school in 3rd grade. I participated with my friends for three years and really enjoyed it, which made me excited to join my school’s cross country team in 6th grade. My love for running has kept growing every year with the more experience I’ve gotten.
C4KC: Is running an outlet for you in any way?
Haldora: Yes, running really helps me release stress, especially during school when I have a lot on my mind. Once I start running, I immediately feel better and more relaxed. It's an escape from anything stressful going on in my life.
C4KC: How is a fundraising activity like the Good Cookie Challenge appealing to you?
Haldora: The Good Cookie Challenge is appealing to me because I love to run and need to run a lot over the summer to stay in shape for cross country season. It’s amazing that I have extra motivation for doing something I already love, and can use it to fundraise for children’s cancer research.
C4KC: This is your 4th year participating and you've raised some impressive funds towards research - tell us more!
Haldora: Over the past four years I have raised nearly $12,000 - $5,360 in 2021, $4,330 in 2022, $1,405 in 2023, and this year my fundraising page has already surpassed my goal and continues to grow.
C4KC: Why is it important for teens to get involved in a cause they care about?
Haldora: It is so important for teens to get involved because they can help change the lives of other people. It's also important that they care about the cause they are supporting on a personal level, because they can create a more meaningful and genuine impact while realizing change and reaching goals.
C4KC: Given what you've experienced, why is raising funds for research for new improved and less toxic treatments for pediatric cancer important?
Haldora: Raising funds for new and less toxic treatments for pediatric cancer is important to me because I am familiar with the permanent effects that children, including myself, have to live with. It's important for children to not only survive cancer, but to be able to live a normal and pain-free life afterward, along with a more tolerable experience during treatment.
C4KC: In your opinion, is it easy to get involved in this cause through the Good Cookie Challenge?
Haldora: I think it’s super easy to get involved through the Good Cookie Challenge because I can do my favorite outdoor activity, running, while supporting this amazing cause by raising money for less toxic treatments for children’s cancer. This challenge is an amazing reason for me to go outside and move my body, knowing that it can help other children be able to do the same.
Would you like to help Haldora raise funds for research to develop new, improved, and less toxic treatments for pediatric cancer — the #1 disease killer of children in the U.S? CLICK HERE.
Send Tough Cookie Haldora's Happy Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies - when you send our cookies 100% of the proceeds go towards funding pediatric cancer research. Send a gift that truly gives back!
Update! Haldora has gone 200 miles in less than six weeks - crushing summer goals officially unlocked for this amazing good cookie!