weLLness
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PROGReSS It’s the season of hope, joy and love. We found it all – plus plenty of determination – in these three wellness journeys. BY E L IZ ABE TH KA N E | PHOTOG RAPHY B Y J OHN MICHAEL SIMPSON
Bold and Bright
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is the epitome of bravery. “Harper sparks joy,” Heather Hindin says of her 9-year-old daughter. “She’s a kid who’s resilient.” Harper is strong for a reason. On Oct. 14, 2021, the then 8-year-old was told she had acute lymphoblastic leukemia. “Harper was sitting on my lap,” Heather says, recounting the day they learned the diagnosis at Duke University Hospital. “Thankfully, she couldn’t see my face.” Heather says it was important to her to manage the gravity of that moment, “not losing control or mak[ing] her feel even more fearful.” Harper remembers that day clearly as well. “I was feeling frustrated and kind of mad at myself,” she says. “[I thought], ‘What did I do wrong? What could I have done to change this?’” She turned to her mother for answers. “Her immediate questions were, ‘Am I going to die?’” arper Harrell
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“I’ve gotten so much love and support; I have so many friends,” Harper says. “I can’t name all of them because there’s so many of them.”
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Heather says. “And I said, ‘No, you’re in the right place. We’re going to take care of you. The doctors know what they’re doing.’ Then, shortly after that, she asked if she was going to lose all of her hair. … And it’s these questions that just feel heartbreaking, and nobody ever prepares you for how to answer them.” So, what do you do when you’re a young girl and cancer comes for you? Harper decided to be courageous. She helped raise $27,000 for The V Foundation for Cancer Research through her “Brave Like Harper” campaign, in which she sold T-shirts that featured her own bright, cheery design that read, “Peace Out, Cancer.” “Harper … embodies the ‘don’t ever give up’ spirit that Jim Valvano introduced during his own battle,” says V Foundation CEO Shane Jacobson. “The way she continues to fight leukemia is admirable. She has become a champion for cancer