Scholarship winners Devan Tatlow and Braden Fleagle share their personal battles with cancer.

Today, the national law firm of Baron & Budd announced that it has selected Devan Tatlow and Braden Fleagle as the winners of the Mesothelioma Cancer Victims Memorial Scholarship. Each winner will receive a $2,500 scholarship paid directly to the financial aid accounts at their universities.

Applicants were asked to submit a written or video essay about how cancer has impacted their lives. Devan Tatlow’s winning written essay was selected after a competitive review by the Baron & Budd Scholarship committee. His remarkably impressive essay detailed his battle with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia and how his experience with the disease helped him to see the deficiencies in healthcare in high-poverty countries. Tatlow decided to take what he learned from his illness and become an advocate for childhood cancer patients by addressing the Congressional Childhood Cancer Caucus on multiple occasions, raising millions of dollars for cancer foundations, and fighting for children and their families in war-torn Ukraine to help them get access to cancer treatments.

In his essay Tatlow wrote, “Over three decades, my form of leukemia has gone from a death sentence to curable—in wealthy countries, that is. Where I was born in Colombia, fewer than 1 in 5 children survive cancer; here, more than 4 in 5 do. Even in America, kids in high-poverty counties are 18% more likely to die of cancer than kids in wealthier ones, according to the American Cancer Society. These kids don’t just die of cancer; they die of our failure to provide equitable health care.” He goes on to say, “Surviving cancer has made me grateful for life’s highs—and its lows. I never take waking up for granted and I’m attuned to people’s struggles. It’s also made me passionate about health equity. I am a freshman at Harvard, and I hope to study the genetic, socio-economic, and environmental determinants of disease; research treatments; and learn to use policy and the law to help others get access to life-saving medical care.”

Tatlow is currently attending Harvard University and participates on the debate team and the satellite team where they are building a satellite to launch into space.

Additionally, Braden Fleagle was selected as the video essay winner. His video focused on his own struggles with germinoma brain cancer and how it affected him and his family. Fleagle described the challenges he has faced during his cancer journey and explained how it influenced his plans for the future.

Fleagle said he planned “to go to a big college, take five or six classes a semester, have a part time job, be in marching band and then hopefully work as a CFO for a Fortune 500 company in a corner office.” He went on in his video to explain how his goals have since changed to, “getting a degree to work for Four Diamonds, St. Jude’s, or another non-profit organization with a similar mission, finding a cure for this terrible disease. Cancer changed me and my future in what I am planning to do with my life and what I want to work towards.”

Fleagle is attending Penn State World Campus where he is pursuing a degree in health policy and administration. He is also a member of the World Campus Student Government Association and the American College Healthcare Administrators.

In one of his letters of recommendation, his college advisor said, “Braden has demonstrated a deep commitment to raising awareness about pediatric cancer and the impact it has on individuals and families. His involvement in THON™ showcases not only his dedication but also his ability to inspire others to take action. He possesses a unique combination of empathy and leadership skills that make him an ideal candidate for this scholarship as a pediatric cancer survivor.”

“Devan and Braden are inspirational and compassionate individuals, finding purpose through their illness and dedicating much of their lives to helping others. We wish them continued success in all their future endeavors and are proud to help support their education,” said President and Managing Shareholder Russell Budd.

The Mesothelioma Cancer Victims Memorial Scholarship was established to honor the legacy of the thousands of Americans who are diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer every year. For more information about the Baron & Budd Mesothelioma Cancer Victims Memorial Scholarship, please visit baronandbudd.com/mesothelioma-lawyer/scholarships/.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

With more than 40 years of experience, Baron & Budd has the expertise and resources to handle complex litigation throughout the United States. As a law firm that takes pride in remaining at the forefront of litigation, Baron & Budd has spearheaded many significant cases for hundreds of public entities and tens of thousands of individuals. Since the firm was founded in 1977, Baron & Budd has achieved substantial national acclaim for its work on cutting-edge litigation, trying hundreds of cases to verdict and settling tens of thousands of cases in areas of litigation as diverse and significant as dangerous and highly addictive pharmaceuticals, defective medical devices, asbestos and mesothelioma, wildfires, environmental contamination, fraudulent banking practices, e-cigarettes, motor vehicles, federal whistleblower cases, and other consumer fraud issues.

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