Yike Michelle Huang

A Curious Mind, A Grateful Heart, and a Life to Explore

I am a 19-year-old writer and artist from China. As lifelong hobbies, writing and art-making are not only self-expression outlets for me, but also channels to communicate worldviews, exchange genuine emotions, and pass down hope.

In the past two-and-a-half years, a diagnosis of cancer drastically shifted my life. Inspired by my nurse’s encouragement of me writing my stories into a book, I narrated my times of challenges, the strength I saw in others and myself, the bittersweetness of life, and perhaps, my exploration of what we hold on to live. With a grateful heart, I share my first book, Ordinary Miracles: A Teen’s Cancer Journey, with you.

Now, I have finished treatments and am enjoying my senior year of high school. I am serving as a volunteer member of St. Jude’s Patient Family Advisory Council and a volunteer listener on the emotional support platform 7 Cups, hoping to share my experience to help others. With a strong interest in psychology, especially the field of psycho-oncology, I am exploring the topic of survivor guilt among childhood cancer survivors through the means of research. Looking to the future, I aspire to become an art therapist or psychologist to accompany others in tough journeys of life.