James Azarian

Robert Louis Stevenson once said, "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." I believe James Azarian is a living example of this quote today. In 2008, James was diagnosed with leukemia. He was only nine. Even though the odds of surviving cancer can be slim, James and the Azarian family kept hope and continued to plant their seeds. James Azarian is strong, James Azarian is tenacious, James Azarian is inspirational. This is why James Azarian is my hero. 

James Azarian is a hero because of his physical, mental, and emotional strength. Due to his health, James missed all of fourth grade. His teacher, Laura Nietzer, went to his house three times a week so he could keep up with his studies. Every Friday, the fourth grade class talked with James via Skype. James underwent many chemotherapy sessions. He was in and out of fifth grade, depending on his health. In sixth grade, James had a bone marrow transplant. In my opinion, James is both emotionally and physically strong because he is determined to beat the cancer by staying true to himself.  

It takes a lot of hope and tenaciousness to stay positive though everything James went through. As the chances of finding a non-family matching bone marrow donor are .0005%, James beat the odds and found a perfect match and had a successful operation. James and his family were very tenacious and patient during all of James' operations and his treatments. I also think that James is tenacious because he is signed up for the Saddle River Day School for next year (eighth grade). The fact that James and his family think he is ready for eight grade shows me they were tenacious until he was well enough.

A hero is someone who inspires you, and James is definitely my inspiration. To me it is admirable that he was able to overcome the many hardships he faced daily. That shows everyone how much of a warrior he was during this time and how much his family helped help him get through it all. James is also my inspiration because through his illness, he acted like any other boy, and enjoyed things such as playing soccer at SRDS, Lego toys, and playing Xbox live with some of the other boys at SRDS. And recently he has attended many Devils hockey games with some of his old Saddle River Day School friends. When James comes back in the eighth grade, I am sure he will have a smile on his face and be happy to be back. I know that all the students and faculty members will be excited to see him walking through the halls.

James Azarian is a perfect example of a young boy who inspires me to be a stronger person who is grateful for the good heath that I have. I truly believe he is my inspiration James Azarian is strong, James Azarian is tenacious, and James Azarian is inspirational. James Azarian is my hero.