ABOUT ME

By the age of 18, Lily Hensiek had already battled cancer twice. She was first diagnosed with leukemia at age 7 and has been determined to end childhood cancer ever since.

Together with her family and through community support, Lily created the Lily’s Garden initiative to raise funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research. Lily’s Garden has now raised over $2 million to support childhood cancer initiatives at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Today, Lily is a freshman at the University of South Carolina, where she is studying to be a pediatric oncology nurse, so she can help other kids overcome cancer. Lily’s dedication to giving back and helping others is just one of the reasons that she took home last year’s Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Award in the Capacity-Building Volunteer category. Lily is an inspiration to us all, and we are thrilled to have her as this year’s parade Hometown Hero.