17-YEAR-OLD JACK ANDRAKA IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL TEENAGER... HE'S A SUPERSTAR IN THE SCIENCE COMMUNITY AND THIS WEEK HE WAS IN CLEVELAND.
AFTER ONE OF HIS CLOSE FAMILY FRIENDS DIED OF PANCREATIC CANCER, JACK TOOK TO THE INTERNET TO RESEARCH AND LOOK FOR ANSWERS USING WHAT HE REFERS TO AS A TEENAGERS TWO BEST FRIENDS - GOOGLE AND WIKIPEDIA.
HE FOCUSED ON LACK OF EARLY DETECTION AND SENT 200 LETTERS TO PROFESSORS HOPING FOR LABORATORY HELP. HE WAS SENT 199 REJECTION LETTERS, BUT ONE PROFESSOR SAW HIS POTENTIAL.
AT JUST 15 YEARS OLD, JACK DISCOVERED A QUICK AND NON-INVASIVE METHOD TO DETECT CANCER IN ITS EARLY STAGES, WHICH INCREASES THE CHANCE FOR SURVIVAL.
PROFESSOR ANIRBAN MAITRA - WHO HAS BECOME A MENTOR TO JACK - CALLS HIM THE "THOMAS EDISON OF THIS GENERATION".
SPEAKING TO STUDENT AMBASSADORS AT THE CANCER INNOVATION SUMMIT IN CLEVELAND, JACK REMINDED THE AUDIENCE THAT "KNOWLEDGE HAS NEVER BEEN MORE ACCESSIBLE".
HE ALSO SAID HE WAS EXCITED TO BE PRESENTING AT CLEVELAND CLINIC, THE HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS BORN.
LAST WEEK WE TOLD YOU ABOUT LAUREN HILL, THE 19-YEAR-OLD FROM CINCINNATI WITH AN INOPERABLE BRAIN TUMOR.
HER DREAM IS OF PLAYING IN A COLLEGE BASKETBALL GAME.
AFTER AN APPEAL THE NCAA BASKETBALL COMMITTEE HAS MOVED THE DATE FOR MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH'S OPENING GAME AGAINST HIRAM COLLEGE; TO SUNDAY, WHERE LAUREN WILL SUIT UP IN FRONT OF A SOLD OUT CROWD.
NOW, LAUREN IS USING HER STORY TO HELP RAISE MONEY FOR BRAIN CANCER RESEARCH.
WORKING WITH THE HASHTAG - LAYUP FOR LAUREN, AND MUCH LIKE THE ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE WHICH RAISED MONEY FOR ALS RESEARCH, LAUREN CHALLENGED LEBRON JAMES, MEMBERS OF THE CINCINNATI BENGALS, AND OTHER ATHLETES TO PARTICIPATE.
SINCE SHE EXPERIENCES DIZZINESS FROM HER TUMOR, LAUREN CHALLENGED OTHERS TO SPIN FIVE TIMES AND THEN SHOOT THE BASKETBALL WITH THEIR NON DOMINANT HAND.
AND OF COURSE, IF YOU MISS, YOU DONATE TO CANCER RESEARCH.
DID YOU OR YOUR SCHOOL PARTICIPATE IN A CHALLENGE THAT RAISED MONEY FOR A GOOD CAUSE? IF SO, WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT. SEND US YOUR VIDEOS AND WE'LL POST SOME OF THEM ON OUR WEBSITE.