It was founded by Dayeon Lee, a high school student who watched three of her close family members fighting through cancer. She observed that the lack of moral support for cancer patients in their healing journey was making the hospitalization even more challenging for cancer patients.
Among the three family members who were diagnosed with cancer—her grandmother, mother, and cousin—her cousin was the most impactful one in her journey in establishing Cancer for the Better. When she was 9 years old, watching her cousin being diagnosed with childhood cancer all while falling back behind on school and not being able to experience childhood, Dayeon sought ways she could help. She often visited her cousin at the hospital to help him with catching up with school and to make him feel like at home.
After several years, when Dayeon was a sophomore in high school, her cousin entered a specialized high school in Korea and credited some of his success to Dayeon helping him overcome the mental challenges of cancer.
Recognizing the importance of creating a supportive and comforting environment for cancer patients, especially for those childhood cancer patients who are in the process of turning into adults, Dayeon found Cancer for the Better in June of 2023.
Now, with more than 200 volunteers involved, 10k dollars raised, and partnerships with 14 local hospitals and organizations, Cancer for the Better is striving to expand their impact in childhood cancer patients.