Written by Shelby Nash, Marketing Intern
Those that have met 18-year-old Gavin Hill will agree they have never met anyone stronger and more dedicated to living life to the fullest.
Gavin was first diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a rare solid tumor with one of the lowest pediatric cancer survival rates, in 2014. He endured a year and a half of treatment at the age of seven to rid of the cancer forever. Gavin longed to get back to being a normal kid and doing what he loved most…playing sports.
After a positive COVID diagnosis at the beginning of 2021, followed by a swollen lymph node, North Davidson High School athlete, Gavin Hill, assumed the two were related. But then a chest x-ray and CT scan in February discovered a tumor mass under his upper right chest. His neuroblastoma had relapsed.
The Limited Edition Gavin Hill Collection has raised $5,720, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting The Isabella Santos Foundation Rare & Solid Tumor Program at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, N.C. The same program currently treating Hill for his relapsed Neuroblastoma. “I think everyone can use this in their everyday life,” Hill said. “You know, you have a bad day at work. You have a bad day at school. These things can be your minor setback. Or you have actually had something really bad or traumatic happen to you. But, just knowing you’re going to come out of it at the end is the major comeback.”
Gavin has a heart of gold and has been using his journey to not only fight for himself, but for other pediatric cancer warriors. Serving as one of the captains on the North Davidson High school football team, he proudly sports the fighting shirt of other kids just like him during warm-ups. Gavin ensures that each of his teammates and friends educates themselves on and off the field. He refuses to let cancer keep him down and tells everyone he will be “the comeback kid”.
“I’m almost there. I’m scraping the top. Scraping the surface. I’m going to be there soon, to where I really want to be”
Gavin makes the perfect fighter to serve as our first collaboration amidst our 2021 rebrand. Within seconds of him brainstorming with our team about what slogan or sentence represents him, he answered: “This is my minor setback, now I’m ready for the big comeback.” And from there the Limited Edition Gavin Hill Collection was born.
