Mary Catherine Buyck is no stranger to sharing the story of her brain tumor.
Diagnosed when she was 14 months old, surviving and fighting is all she’s ever known.
Buyck talked about this and childhood cancer awareness recently during an assembly at her school, Laurence Manning Academy.
“My experience with cancer has shown me that kids with cancer just want to be normal kids, and that is one of my reasons for helping,” Mary Catherine, 8, said during her speech, which was in honor of Children’s Cancer Awareness Month. Recognized in September, it is a time where many communities place gold ribbons to raise awareness.
In Clarendon County, residents and business have been working hard to #PaintClarendonGold, placing ribbons bought with donations throughout the county.
Funds go, in part, toward Gamecock Kids Battling Cancer and Curing Kids Cancer, charities for which Mary Catherine and her mother, Caroline Buyck, are active in fundraising herself.
During her talk, the fourth-grade student talked about her trip to a charity sponsored by the Curing Kids Cancer foundation and their Dream Team. The organization joined forces with University of South Carolina head equestrian Coach Boo Major’s championship team for the day’s charity event, which was in honor of children with cancer and to provide experiences for kids with cancer through equestrian therapy and other related activities.
“We got to meet some of the horses and played with their hair, wash them and ride them, and it was a lot of fun,” Mary Catherine said.
Curing Kids Cancer shared videos throughout Mary Catherine’s speech of their latest charity events that the girl herself attended with other patients from various cancer centers.
CKC owner Grainne Owen said the events give young patients “a happy opportunity to think about other things besides what is happening in their lives, (and) to forget that they are cancer patients for a day and just have fun.”
“Finding cures for childhood cancers require finding doctors and research facilities that are breaking new ground in pediatric cancer research,” Owen said. “We look forward to the day when childhood cancers are no longer a threat.”
Mary Catherine urged those present during her speech to make donations toward Curing Kids Cancer.
“I want to help other kids like me, and you can help them by making a donation,” she said.
