S2E1 | Finding his voice after cancer treatment

Nick was a quiet kid who loved to play basketball. He had dreams of playing at a big-time college program, just like his dad. But when he was diagnosed with leukemia, those plans were put on hold. He was unsure of how to express his feelings about what was happening to him, until fellow patients at St. Jude encouraged him to start rapping.

Now Nick has an album out, and he’s got dreams about the music industry. He says his years of cancer treatment taught him how to shift gears. “It taught me not to have such a narrow scope. There's so much for you to experience and so much for you to do.”

There were difficult moments, too. One of Nick’s closest friends at St. Jude passed away. “It really hurt me,” he says. “I felt like the best thing to do was to keep living and keep going after what you want to go after.”

Life can sometimes deal you a bad hand, Nick says. “It’s okay to be down for a minute but try your best to bounce back.”

You can watch a video about Nick here

St. Jude Storied Lives is a production of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This podcast series explores the experiences of survivors, letting you get to know the person and not just the diagnosis. St. Jude understands that every patient’s journey through treatment is unique. Listeners who have questions about their situation, diagnosis or treatment options should talk to their physician. These personal stories are not intended to provide medical advice.

Credits
Host: Joel Alsup
Producer: Geoffrey Redick
Editor: Grace Korzekwa Evans
Music production: Kazimir Boyle
Recorded by: Jason Latshaw, Nathan Black, Bobby Mitchell, Orlando Palaez and Dan Yohey