18 years old
Softball all-star
Dreams of being a police dog trainer
Astrocytoma
The first time Tara shared her inspirational story on stage at Terp Thon, the entire room was filled with echoes of the audience chanting her name in solidarity and awe. In February 2013, Tara was diagnosed with grade 2 astrocytoma, a rare form of brain cancer. Doctors found three tumors in her brain that were inoperable, so she began 70 weeks of chemotherapy. Tara is still undergoing treatment at Children’s National Hospital for more tumors that were discovered in January 2015. Tara enjoys playing softball, training her dogs Caroline and Annie, and taking selfies with her friends and family! She is a junior in high school and part of the marching band. One of her favorite things to do at Terp Thon is to make sure people remain on their feet for the full 12 hours. Visit her Facebook page, “Pray for Tara,” to stay updated on Tara.