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| OU alumna Catie Hormel, right, is part of Detroit’s chapter of Queen for a Day and Heroes, an organization dedicated to raising the self-esteem and confidence of children with cancer. |
By Laura Angus, media relations assistant
OU alumna Catie Hormel didn’t let a little thing like brain cancer keep her down when she was 16, and now she is helping lift the spirits of other children with cancer.
She is part of Detroit’s chapter of Queen for a Day and Heroes, an organization dedicated to raising the self-esteem and confidence of children with cancer.
“It’s something fun to do when you’re in the hospital,” said Hormel, who graduated in May with a degree in public affairs and public policy, and a minor in communications. “It’s time to get out of their room.”
When Hormel was 16, she was diagnosed with brain cancer. She had surgery, six weeks of radiation and two years of chemotherapy, and is healthy now. She said she missed two years of high school, but managed to graduate on time from Macomb Christian High School with the help of tutors.
During all her time in the hospital she went to some of the Queen for a Day events in the hospital. Hormel said she thought the events were fun, and then started finding ways to help.
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| Hormel, center, is responsible for events at Beaumont Hospital, and spends 20 hours or more a week coordinating events and fundraisers. |
During the monthly events at Beaumont, they put make up on the girls and tattoos on the boys, decorate cookies or cupcakes, play board games, do crafts and give out goodie bags with toys for the kids.
They also always take a picture of the kids, and have them decorate a picture frame for it. The girls wear a boa and tiara, and become a queen for the day. The boys wear a badge and a fire helmet or police hat, and are a hero for the day.
Hormel is going to start graduate school in the fall at OU, and plans on getting her Master of Public Administration degree.
She said she wants to create her own non-profit some day for older kids facing cancer, since she was 16 when she was diagnosed.
“I want to do something special for teens with cancer,” she said.
For more information, or to get involved with Detroit’s chapter of Queens for a Day and Heroes, visit its Web site or call Hormel at (586) 876-4336.
OU alumna Catie Hormel didn’t let a little thing like brain cancer keep her down when she was 16, and now she is helping lift the spirits of other children with cancer. She is part of Detroit’s chapter of Queen for a Day and Heroes, an organization dedicated to raising the self-esteem and confidence of children with cancer. When Hormel was 16, she was diagnosed with brain cancer. She had surgery, six weeks of radiation and two years of chemotherapy, and is healthy now. During all her time in the hospital she went to some of the Queen for a Day events in the hospital. Hormel said she thought the events were fun, and then started finding ways to help.