“They removed my tumor and saved my life. I wanted to give back in some way to help other kids struggling with cancer to have the same chance,” said Maddie Barber.

A Texas teen that survived brain cancer found a way to give back to the doctors and nurses that helped her overcome the deadly disease, earning thousands of dollars in a livestock auction and donating it all to St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital. 

Maddie Barber is a 17-year-old that lives near San Antonio, and at the age of 12 she was diagnosed with medullablastoma. It’s a relatively rare form of brain cancer that predominately affects children, with the National Cancer Institute estimating about 3,840 people are currently living with the condition. 

After Barber received cancer treatment and surgery she was left with partial paralysis on her right side, according to The Washington Post. 

It limited Barber’s ability to participate in traditional sports, so her family suggested she take up raising and showing farm animals. She joined the Future Farmers of America and by early January Barber was showing two hogs she had raised since they were piglets. 

Source: Texas teen raises $30,500 to donate to St. Jude Children’s Hospital