Some kids treat high school as a kind of a way station before the next step in life. For other teenagers like Lauren Nadan, high school is a time to stretch the limits. To put yourself outside of your comfort zone - take the extra A.P. course, try out for a sport or a part in the play, and to test yourself to see just how much you can achieve. But just as Lauren was about to embark upon this exciting journey, she began to feel weak and listless, which was extremely unusual for the normally determined swimmer and tennis player. Doctors diagnosed a debilitating non-fatal blood disorder and began treatments immediately.

Hospitals are often not the happy places kids are used to like the pediatrician’s office. Lauren was profoundly affected by the courage of the children she saw in the oncology department. It’s bad enough to suffer from cancer and the nausea and pain of chemotherapy. But on top of that, these kids also have to deal day-to-day with trying to figure out how to handle chemo-induced hair loss.

Lauren promptly found a solution and started Hats for Hope. She solicited the donation of thousands of high fashion hats from companies like Barney’s New York, Abercrombie & Fitch, J. Crew and Burberry, for delivery to New York and Boston area hospitals. The future business major realized that many chemotherapy patients are about Lauren’s age and would feel self-conscious about wearing cheap-looking hats. Lauren will be attending a prestigious southeastern university in the fall, and hopes to expand Hats for Hope to help university area patients.