Madelyn Lawrence was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia at 21 years old. As a senior at the University of Arkansas, her life was turned upside down and around, as she immediately began chemotherapy treatment at CHI in her hometown of Hot Springs, AR in November of 2020. After four rounds of treatment, Madelyn was officially in remission by the spring of 2021! It was at this point that Madelyn and her family had a big decision to make. Due to her AML mutation putting her into intermediate risk of relapse, Madelyn and her little sister, Olivia made the decision to have Olivia tested to see if she was a match for potential stem cell donor. As Madelyn's only biological sibling, there was only a 25% chance of Olivia being a viable enough match. When the results came in, Olivia showed to not only be a match for Madelyn, but such an exact match they were like identical twins! This was a clear enough sign from God of Madelyn's next step in her cancer journey... To go through with the transplant. And so, in the summer of 2021, Madelyn received her Bachelor's degree in Communication Disorders as a High Distinction Graduate, and then moved to Houston, TX to receive her stem cell transplant from her brave little sister at MD Anderson Cancer Institute.

On July 12, 2021 Madelyn received Olivia's stem cells, the final step of her journey. She healed for three months in Houston and was finally able to return home to Arkansas in October of 2021. Now, two years later, Madelyn Lawrence remains completely in remission and is currently receiving her Masters in Speech Pathology at the University of Arkansas and expected to marry her college sweetheart, Carson Henderson, in December of 2023. In her free time, Madelyn enjoys baking, pilates classes, Arkansas sports, and living a life without cancer. She feels so fortunate to be your Honored Hero, and hopes to inspire lives of those that have been affected by cancer.