"Imagine your typical native San Diegan starting college as a freshman in the magnificent City of New York only to transfer to Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX. Can you picture it? Yeah, neither could I, but that’s precisely what I did. Let me start from the beginning of my oh-so-awkward high school career.

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I got thrown into an a cappella group my freshman year of high school as my elective. Prior to this class, the only singing I partook in was in my shower where my audience comprised of my rubber duck and my loofa. Progressing from an audience of plastic to that of people was quite frightening, but little did I know it would serve as one of the most gracious blessings I have ever encountered.

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At the end of my middle school career, I learned that my friend, mentor, and father—Charlie Harb—was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer, with a diagnosis of only six months to live. My family took drastic measures in order to preserve my father’s life and help him defeat the curse of cancer. These actions included switching my father to an all-vegan diet, eating organically, and abstaining from alcohol. During family celebrations, the only shots he would have would be those of wheat grass. And yes, it really is as bad as it sounds. Through these ambitious changes of lifestyle, and introduction of chemotherapy and radiation, my father lived four years longer than his original prognosis.

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After seeing positive results post chemo and radiation, my father decided to join a clinical trial, and I will never forget the words he said to me: “If this doesn’t help me, at least I know the results I’m able to provide will help someone else.” Unfortunately, the trial did not help him. The high doses facilitated to him, as well as all of the medication he was prescribed, began deteriorating his brain. As a result of a plethora of seizures, he slowly became less competent. A final seizure, in April of 2012, knocked him into a state of dementia. Reality began slipping from my father. Unable to recognize the women he loved—his wife, and two daughters—my father took his last breath on July 19, 2012. Although he is now gone, those words remain tattooed into my heart. My father always lived a life of servitude and humility, and I do not want this legacy to fade.

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His story served as fuel that drove my passion. Upon transferring to Texas Christian University as a sophomore from New York City, I was shocked to discover the absence of an A cappella group on TCU’s campus. A crazy thought came over me: “Why don’t I start a group here myself.” Somehow, I managed to arrange that, and did so during the Spring semester of 2015. Losing my father was one of the most devastating experiences I have ever lived through. I decided then that my voice would act as his own—bold, brave, and beautiful, ready to take on whatever unfamiliar ambiances life would hurl in my direction.

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In addition to starting an A Capella group, I decided to make another promise to myself. Before I graduate from TCU, I wanted to start a benefit walk in Fort Worth in honor of my Dad. Through the years, I have seen these goals rise into fruition. My A Capella group, License to Trill, was a success, and now it is time to do the same with this walk, which I hope will occur annually.

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My father died wanting to help people. Now, I want to live doing the same thing. My father’s story is one that resonates with me, my family, and all people who have been impacted by the tragedy of cancer. I am blessed beyond words, as my friends and family have acted as the body to help me decide and pursue this endeavor, and my father acts as the soul. His soul radiated positivity, and my hope is for his story to be an inspiration to all.

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While he may be gone, his memory lives through me, through you, and through this walk. One person can change another—my father taught me that, but a collective can change the world. Let’s start here, in Fort Worth, and continue until cancer is as unfamiliar as New York was when I first stepped on my campus my freshmen year."

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-Sabrina Harb, Class of 2017, Founder of License to Trill