13 Action News sat down with a brave valley teen who is beating the odds.
"I'm not thankful for having the cancer; I'm thankful for what I learned from it," said Eric Jolley.
Jolley was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in November.
The 18-year-old just graduated from Spring Valley High School this month.
"I was really determined to graduate on time," Jolley said.
Jolley has been accepted into the science program at the University of Nevada Reno.
He says cancer has humbled him. It has also made a huge impact on his future.
"Seeing all these other children going through their different forms of cancer," Jolley said, "it made me decide that I want to be a pediatric oncologist."
Jolley says his cancer is in remission. He just received a bone marrow transplant and completed multiple rounds of chemotherapy.
"I tried to stay as happy as I could through it, I had a lot of support," he said.
The teen wants other kids battling cancer to stay strong.
"They have so much to live for," he said. "It's a great life and it's worth living."
13 Action News will continue to follow his journey.
The family has set up a GoFundMe account for medical expenses.
