Tim's Story

On September 10, 2010, at 13 years old, Tim was diagnosed with Stage 3 synovial sarcoma, a very rare form of cancer. On March 28, 2011, having undergone six months of chemotherapy and two months of radiation, Tim was considered cancer free.

Since that day however, Tim faced 4 relapses of his cancer, all contained in his lungs. Yet, through these multiple relapses, he continued to live life to the fullest and excel in his favorite sport. Tim was recruited by the top volleyball college in the nation, but instead chose to attend UC Berkeley.

Life brought serious challenges to Tim, but nothing was stronger than his will to fight. Through hundreds of doctor visits, countless blood work, many different kinds of chemotherapy, radiation, over 30 hospital stays, and nearly 10 surgeries, Tim battled, always with a smile, and always striving to bring joy to those around him. Tim never saw himself as being sick, but rather as a light for the good of others.

During these difficult years, Tim became a beacon of awareness and raised over $50,000 for  organizations such as The Make-A-Wish Foundation. Increasingly, Tim focused his attention on the need for more and better research to find a cure for his own disease, synovial sarcoma. With his typical energy and enthusiasm, Tim created the Live for Others Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for synovial sarcoma and other rare pediatric cancers.

As Tim describes in his video; “Battling cancer you never lose, and you never will lose. Even if one day the fight ends! Once something like this happens, you never lose, you just start a new journey…. Tim started his new journey in heaven on January 10, 2016.

Tim Vorenkamp

03-27-1997 / 01-10-2016

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