Michael Cuccione is no longer with us, but he was a childhood cancer survivor. During his life, he worked tirelessly to raise funds to find a cure for childhood cancer. His vision lives on through the Michael Cuccione Foundation, which funds pediatric cancer research in the hope of finding a cure.

Michael was a striking young man in every way. He was generous, once giving all of his gifts in the hospital to a younger boy with whom he shared a room. He was charismatic and a talented public speaker—gifts that he used to great effect as he crusaded to raise money for cancer research. He was brave and faithful, making the best out of every situation good and bad.

At age 9, Michael was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease, a form of cancer that affects the lymphatic system and reduces the body’s ability to fight infections. A vigorous course of chemotherapy left him cancer-free, but one year later, the cancer returned. Again Michael went through chemotherapy and was one of the first patients at BC Children’s Hospital to undergo a bone marrow transplant of his own stem cells. This time, the treatment was successful and he would be cancer-free for good. Cancer did not take his life; at age 16, he passed away from respiratory complications.

For Michael, having cancer was a starting point to achieve greater things. It was a matter of faith that cancer had to be stopped and he was a catalyst through which progress could be made. To that end, he appeared on countless public and television appearances and brought awareness of childhood cancer to millions of people. His feelings were clear when he said “One person can only do so much, but together we can make a difference!”

That was the idea behind the Michael Cuccione Foundation, which has raised millions of dollars to fund pediatric cancer research. Most notably, the foundation has endowed two lifetime research chairs at BC Children’s Hospital, worth $2.5 million. The foundation’s efforts continue as it works to raise funds for ongoing research activities at the hospital.

Michael Cuccione was proof that positive thinking can make a difference under the most difficult circumstances. His legacy lives on through the foundation he created and his vision of curing cancer.