Positive outlook

"Hannah Laursen, 9, of Provo, plays in her backyard with her sisters, Thursday afternoon. In June, she was diagnosed with brain cancer after finding a tumor in her brain. A benefit concert will be held in her honor at UVU this week."

It's amazing the people I get to meet on a daily basis and how they make me cherish life much more and make me easily erase bad days and stress that in the end are meaningless.

Last week I got to hang out with Hannah Laursen, a typical 9-year-old girl living in Provo.

The one thing that makes Hannah different than her peers is that she has been through a lot - a lot of medical treatments no one should ever have to experience, let alone a young girl of her age.

In June, she was diagnosed with brain cancer after finding a tumor in her brain. Over a period of six days, Hannah endured three separate surgeries to relieve the pressure on her brain and remove as much of the tumor as possible. A biopsy revealed it to be a malignant and rapidly growing tumor.

Since returning to Utah the second week in July, Hannah has undergone two rounds of chemotherapy and a month's worth of five-days-a-week radiation treatments.

But her spirits are high and her energy is returning. Hannah's positive outlook on her situation has been one of her greatest allies in her battle for health her father said.

It was recently discovered that her brain tumor was completely gone. While some medical attention will still be needed to cure all effects, it's a great sign.

I wish Hannah the best and thank her for allowing me to hang out with her. It was uplifting to say the least.