Amanda Neuhoff was my mom’s best friend and my godmother. More than that, she was the awesome mother of four children, a fun-loving wife, and a selfless soul to her core. When Mandy passed of brain cancer this past June, the world stopped. This was a person that lived her life putting everyone before herself at every opportunity and who never failed to smile through the fire, even on her deathbed. We weren’t even allowed to wear black at her funeral. 

I joined this team for Aunt Mandy and those across the country just like her. For those that fought, and lost. For those that are still fighting. And for those who are fighting alongside the fighting. Through this program, I want to spread love, hope and a sense of comfort to those pushing through this battle against cancer. Someone is on their side, and we’re fighting right there with them. 

During a Bible study the first semester of my freshman year, our leader said something that I think will stick with me for the rest of my life. He said, “God guarantees his strongest followers the fullest of lives, not the longest of lives.” Whether you’re a Christian or not, I think there is something to be said about the emphasis on the quality of your life as opposed to the quantity of it. Mandy lived the fullest of lives, not the longest of lives. Her life cannot be defined in a number of years, and her legacy lives on in the fight against brain cancer. It is my honor to help that legacy flourish.