n 1995 at just 10 months of age, Rachel Hiatt was diagnosed with a childhood cancer called Neuroblastoma.

When she was 3-and-a-half she was diagnosed with another form of the disease called Hystiocytosis.

This week she turned 17 and is marking 13 years of a cancer-free life. To celebrate overcoming cancer twice, Hiatt has turned her senior project at Mount Airy High School into an effort to raise money to help fight cancer.

Hiatt is forming a team called the Little Wonders to participate in a CureSearch Walk at Wake Forest University on Oct. 1.

“I’m just trying to raise money for childhood cancer since I had it,” said Hiatt.

She said at the time when she had cancer, only 43 percent of children with that type of cancer survived. She said today, nearly 63 percent of children survive.

As part of her project, Hiatt created a new superhero called Captain Chemo. Right now, she is in the process of selling ads for the back of the Captain Chemo T-shirts for $50 each. She said people who would like to join her team can either donate money or participate in the walk. Once all of the ads are sold, the T-shirts will be available for $10 each.

Hiatt is toying with the idea of hosting a dodge ball tournament to help raise money.

At school, Hiatt is going to see if there can be a Superhero Day where kids pay to dress up and everyone comes as their favorite superhero.

So far, she has raised about $300. Her goal is to raise $2,000. Her mission is to help fund cancer research so other children won’t have to endure what she went through.

CureSearch is a national non-profit foundation whose mission is to fund and support childhood cancer research and provide information and resources to all those affected by childhood cancer. CureSearch performs research at more than 175 hospitals across the nation. These hospitals participate in the National Cancer Institute sponsored clinical trials conducted by the Children’s Oncology Group. In the past 40 years, collaborative research has increased the overall survival rate for childhood cancer from 10 percent to 78 percent. CureSearch’s goal is to increase the survival rate to 100 percent.

The walk will be held at Davis Stadium Field at Wake Forest University on Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m.

To make a donation, go to www.curesearchwalk.org, click on events, then Winston-Salem and enter Rachael Hiatt under the participant’s name. To contact Hiatt to buy an ad on the shirt, email her at rachelhiatt74@yahoo.com or call her at 710-8756, or call her mother Melissa Hiatt at 710-1008.

© 2011 Mount Airy News