Hayley Arceneaux, 29, is a cancer survivor. She fought bone cancer at age 10 and now has her heart set high – up to outer space. The group of people leaving on this Space X mission is the first mission in which nobody is a trained astronaut. 

It all began in 2002 when after earning her blackbelt in Taekwondo, she felt a lump in her knee. It turned out to be bone cancer. Throughout her treatment, she had to face chemotherapy and losing all of her hair. Her doctors then had to replace her knee with metal implants. Not only is she going on the space mission without being trained, but she is going to be the first going into space with prosthetics. The mission is going to be a fundraising event for the hospital as well.

After losing her dad in 2018, it has definitely been hard. However, she finds reassurance in being able to work at the same hospital that provided treatment for her. She works with kids having to go through the same thing. She spreads awareness about her treatment as she works on things like this. Hayley looks forward to her Space X mission later in 2021.

Things can be hard sometimes, yet, some people find a way to get back up and be stronger. Hayley is only one example of this. Many people in your community are dealing with a lot right now, but one day, they are going to change your world. All of these amazing people aren’t always going to get that recognition, however, making sure the people around you feel special can make their day a slight bit better.

So, take this Sunshine Story as a start. There are tons of sunshine stories out there. If you think you have one, leave a message in the comments below. We want to make sure your story is told. There is always a light in the darkness.