College visit fuels young cancer patient's dreams

MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) - A teenager battling an aggressive form of cancer had the chance to live a dream Monday. The 14-year old foster child got to attend Ball State University for a day.

Her first stop was a comparative politics class. Quinnasha sat attentively at the back of the class as she listened to a discussion about the evolution of the European Union.

As the professor discussed the widening questions of the constitutional development of the EU, Quinnasha studiously took notes. For her, it was a welcome diversion from the widening questions that plague her - questions of life and death.

The Fort Wayne foster child lost an arm to osteosarcoma two years ago. Now the cancer is back, and it's ravaging her lungs. Because Quinnasha is a ward of the state, she said she has also battled a slow-moving bureaucratic system to get treatment .

Her legal battles sparked an interest in law, and she dreams of starting her college career at Ball State. And for a day, her dream was reality.

Joe Losco, Ball State's political science department chairman, gave her a tour of the department Monday. She visited with Michael Maggiotto, the dean of sciences and humanities, Darren Wheeler, a political science professor, and Brad Gideon, the school's legal studies director.

When Maggiotto asked her why she wants to be a lawyer she replied softly: "Maybe if I be a lawyer, I can help another child with something."

Quinnasha not only wants to help foster children, she wants to change the world. She chatted about international affairs with Wheeler, telling him about her concerns about the enslavement of children in Ghana. And she joked with Gideon about how much she dislikes math.

Then, she had lunch with a group of professors and students.

"It's fantastic being here!" she gushed. "This is like one of the biggest things that I have accomplished. This was like my goal - one of my goals."

Last month, 24-Hour News 8 reported that Quinnasha had to petition the court to have chemotherapy. While she won that fight , unfortunately her body is not tolerating chemo well. But she's not giving up. She plans to one day attend Ball State, and she said her visit Monday provides even more motivation to fight for her dreams.