Waco teenager receives 10,000 cancer grant
WACO, Texas (FOX 44) — Blain Lenoir, 19, has received a great deal of help continuing his college career after years of battling leukemia.
Blain received a $10,000 scholarship through Northwestern Mutual’s 2022 Childhood Cancer Survivor program.
The grant aims to ease the financial burden on families undergoing childhood cancer treatment.
Northwestern Mutual Foundation President Steven Radke says, “Childhood cancer robs children and their families of too much, and that shouldn’t include the opportunity to pursue their dreams of a college degree.”
Blain was diagnosed with cancer in November 2015. He was 11 at the time and played competitive baseball. What his family thought was a typical baseball tournament turned into a scare.
After three games in 24 hours, his family noticed a large bump on the side of his neck. Doctors diagnosed him with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Blain was technically cancer-free on December 24, 2015, just over a month after his diagnosis. However, he has had more than four years of treatment to combat the disease and the treatments have had a permanent impact on his body.
Although he couldn’t play baseball at the level he wanted, he won a state championship with Valley Mills High School. He plays golf today and shoots in the 70s.
Blain wants to encourage those going through a similar season: “I’ve really tried to talk to anyone who’s going through something similar or a parent whose child is going through something similar. Anything I can do to help.
Blain hasn’t let cancer keep him from the two things he loves most: baseball and golf.
He now works at a golf course and coaches a 13U traveling baseball team. She also attends McLennan Community College online.
Her goal is to attend LSU online next year on her scholarship. A scholarship that helped him a lot.
Looking ahead, Blain plans to work in the family business of agriculture or sports administration.
Although today his dream job is to be athletic director of a school like LSU.
With a large family, Blain had many supporters during his battle with leukemia. He is now also grateful to Northwestern Mutual for their support of him.
