At the tender age of 14, Brooklyn Kennedy has already been through more than most kids her age.
On top of the average childhood hardships like parental separation, moving out of a hometown and attending middle school, Kennedy has also been fighting a rare form of cancer since the age of 11.
Though she moved away from Prince George last October to live with her mother in Michigan, the teenager hasn't forgotten the support this community has given her since 2008.
Three years ago, Kennedy was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of cancer in which the cells are found in the bone or soft tissue.
"I want to say thank you to Prince George for donating so much and just being there for me," Kennedy told the Citizen while in town visiting her father for the summer.
While she underwent treatment, area residents contributed to a Brooklyn Kennedy trust fund, and businesses such as Eastside Mario's and groups like the Bel Canto Choir held special fundraising nights in her honour.
There was even a six-year-old named Landon who donated money raised at his birthday party, generosity Kennedy said she will never forget.
"I never thought the city I lived in for my entire life would help me out so much, even though most people will never meet me."
After undergoing chemotherapy and surgery to remove one rib and have an adjacent one scraped to eliminate a tumour, it appeared the former St. Mary's elementary school student was cancer-free.
However, last summer doctors found another cancerous spot in Kennedy's lung.
"Lots of things have been happening to me since [last year]," she said.
Instead of completing Grade 8 at Pennfield Middle School, Kennedy was once again subjected to rounds of chemotherapy in preparation for this past February's stem cell transplant.
This particular round of treatment was more difficult for the teenager than when she was first diagnosed in 2008 - this time around she knew what was coming and on top of that, got sick prior to her transplant.
"I wanted to quit and curl up in a dark hole," she said, adding it was the support of her family and best friends (and cat, Luna) who pushed her to power through it.
Now, hopefully with the worst behind her, Kennedy is focused on returning to school in Michigan this September. She is determined to get through Grade 8, after two previous attempts were thwarted by her illness.
"I just need to focus on on schoolwork and getting my grades up," she said. The 14-year-old already has plans to return to Prince George to study nursing at the University of Northern British Columbia when she completes high school.
But those plans may change, as like any girl her age, Kennedy is liable to change her mind.
"I also want to go to school to be a video game designer," she said, explaining her love of art started when she was first hospitalized as a way to express her emotions.
"I'm confident I'm going to make a better impact on my life in this year," said Kennedy.
