Most recently my iPhone has kept “Sing about me, I’m dying of thirst” - a song from Kendrick Lamar’s album, good kid, m.A.A.d city - in constant rotation. The track is a combination of two songs, and I would love to talk about it in its entirety, but on here I will only be discussing the first song, “Sing about me.”

It is a beautiful song. Behind a very smooth beat Lamar rhymes in the first verse about a call he had with the brother of one of his friends, Dave, who had recently been gunned down due to gang violence. Dave’s brother is asking Kendrick to remember to put them in his album, because their story is important to guide other kids to be good, and have aspirations other than gang life. If you want to learn more about the song, rapgenius.com,is one of my favorite places to look at rap lyrics, butI must put a warning out asparental discretion is advised.

The week of January 20, 2013 to January 26, 2013 was the first annual Teen and Young Adult Cancer Week, which is a huge effort in boosting awareness about the struggles these young people face as they battle cancer. If Lamar can get me - the farthest thing from thug life - to listen, take interest in, and research gang life then Teen and Young Adult Cancer Week should at least inform some of you about the situation that is having cancer as an adolescent/young adult. It is important that these young people are treated differently than children and distinguished from older adults.

I was fortunate enough to be able to give a speech at Children’s Hospital to commence the week. Senator Pat Toomey, and Mr. and Mrs. Scott, Alex Scott of Alex’s Lemonade stand’s parents were there to speak as well. In my speech I told the audience about my third chemo treatment, which was the toughest one that I had. I began that treatment with a pulmonary embolism and wound up in the hospital for 23 days due to complications that one of the drugs had on my kidneys.

 I was fortunate enough to have an audience to tell my story, teens and young adults do not often have this opportunity. Hopefully this week will allow other’s time to tell their stories, and further awareness about their disease.