Cancer Survivor: Graham Henry

One of Epic’s Game Testers started his day like any other during summer break; he got up, got dressed, and went to work bagging groceries. In fact, his day started like just about any other 16 year old with a summer job. A strange twist of fate would change Graham’s life that day, and here he is at 18 years old to talk about it.

That day, Graham was collecting carts from the parking lot, when a car swerved towards him. He had to push the carts out of the way and barely missed the car. He felt like he did something wrong to his shoulder, but it wasn’t until later that the pain started getting worse. Graham was taken to North Carolina’s Children Hospital and was given some chilling news. He was told he had Ewing’s Sarcoma. With Ewing’s Sarcoma, cancer cells are found in the bone or soft tissue and the cancer is very rare.

How could this be? He was young and healthy. The doctor said  words like radiation, chemotherapy, childhood cancer, even death. As most 16 year old boys, Graham thought himself invincible. He was scared, but he was also ready to fight. Although Graham went through chemo, the loss of his hair, painful side effect and vomiting, he doesn’t dwell on the bad. He looks at it as a learning experience.

“As I left cancer in the dust, I began to explore new thoughts, things that never crossed my mind before. How could I live to my fullest potential? How can I make every day count? Could I change people’s lives for the better? Could I change the world?”

Graham is now cancer free, his hair has grown back and he is healthier than ever before. He has met with survivors of illness, talked to doctors about dealing with young cancer patients, chatted with Senator Kay Hagen and even met Jay Leno. Graham also landed his dream job here at Epic Games Headquarters. We’re very happy to have him here!

If you’d like to read more about Graham, check out his post on the St. Baldrick’s Foundation Blog. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. Donation information is available HERE.