From motocross to snowboarding, 18-year-old Bryce is determined to live life to the fullest. Playing hard and working hard to maintain a 3.4 GPA, Bryce is a freshman at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. This determination to seize the day is a result of a healthy appreciation for daily life — an appreciation that Bryce gained after overcoming cancer.

When he was in 5th grade, doctors discovered a malignant tumor in Bryce’s mouth. He subsequently underwent surgery to have his entire lower front jaw and teeth removed and replaced with a metal bar. After the initial surgery, Bryce began chemotherapy and later underwent another procedure to rebuild his jaw using part of his hip bone.

When Bryce was approached by Make-A-Wish Foundation^® volunteers in the midst of all the chemotherapy and surgeries, he wanted to wish for something lasting. “I wanted to wish for something that I could enjoy for many years to come,” he said. So, Bryce wished for something that would allow him to escape his troubles and “fish it all away”—his own bass-fishing boat!

When he reflects back on his wish today, Bryce expresses gratitude to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for being there when he needed help getting through the tough times. “When you are at the point where you think you couldn’t get any worse, the Make-A-Wish Foundation comes in and makes your life spin in the exact opposite direction and you are the happiest person on earth,” he said.

And spin in the opposite direction it did — today, Bryce is cancer-free and aims to capitalize on the potential waiting in every day. “I feel as though to be able to live life to the fullest after being a cancer survivor is to just have no limits,” he said. “Without being afraid and just pushing your body as far as it will let you go, you can do great things.”