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Mark Keppel Student Turns Cancer Battle Into Mission to Help Others

 

Nancy Liu1 week ago 07 mins

 

At just 17, Keira Chang has already lived through more than most people do in a lifetime — and emerged as a passionate changemaker for her generation. A junior at Mark Keppel High School, Chang has not only survived leukemia but launched her own clothing brand and written a children’s book to help young kids learn about personal finance.

Diagnosed with leukemia just before her 13th birthday in 2021, Chang spent over two and a half years in treatment at City of Hope. After missing in-person school for four years due to her illness and the pandemic, this past year marked her first full year back on campus. Now, as she enters her senior year, Chang is full of optimism and determination.

Towards the end of her recovery, Chang founded Heroko Shop, a Gen Z-focused clothing brand that blends fashion, creativity, and cause. The name “Heroko” means “hero child” and honors the resilient young patients she met during her treatment. Launched in September 2023, the shop features colorful, bold designs — think Jedi cats wielding lightsabers, graffiti-style “slay queen” stickers, and meme-worthy dogs — all created by Chang and other Gen Z artists. The brand donates proceeds to childhood cancer causes, including City of Hope.

“I’m really into fashion and my cousin Eugene, who’s an artist, helped me bring the designs to life,” Chang said. “Before I joined the YEP program, it was a lot smaller scale than it is now. After that, I was able to use the help from the mentors to make Heroko better.” With guidance from her mentor, business coach  and Executive Director of the Downtown Alhambra Business Association Joanna Vargas, Chang scaled up Heroko and learned how to grow her brand with purpose.

But her impact doesn’t stop there. As part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Chang wrote and is preparing to self-publish a children’s book titled “The Second Race – The Turtle and the Puppy: A Story About Money.” Illustrated by her cousin, the story follows a money-savvy turtle and a spend-happy puppy learning important lessons about saving, spending, and financial responsibility. Currently, she’s raising money to donate 250 copies to local libraries, schools, and hospitals.

Chang was inspired to write the book after witnessing firsthand how some families struggled financially during childhood cancer treatment. “Thankfully, my parents had good insurance and were really careful about saving money for their entire lives,” she said, “but not everyone was as lucky. That made me think a lot more about money and I realized that public education doesn’t really emphasize personal finance, so I wanted to find a way to do that with my book.”

Chang is from Monterey Park but has spent her whole life in AUSD schools and loves Alhambra — especially the food. Repetto Elementary, where Chang attended, is one of her targets for donating copies of “The Second Race.”

After a childhood marked by a major loss of freedom and autonomy, starting Heroko and writing her book have been ways for her to not only help other children going through cancer, but also to express herself and share her struggles and hopes. 

Now looking ahead to her senior year, Chang is excited about the future. She plans to study business in college and continue supporting childhood cancer causes. “I’m really happy to be where I am. Even AP exams, it’s kind of crazy to say, but I kind of had fun taking them. There’s a lot of bonding with friends over the stress of it.” she said. “It feels like a big step toward the future.”

Chang is hosting a fundraiser with Panda Express to raise money for “The Second Race.” Proceeds from orders placed online on Thursday, July 10, using the code “9005083” will go towards her project through a partnership with Girl Scouts. Learn more about the fundraiser here.

To learn more about “The Second Race,” visit keirachanggogold.wixsite.com/book and find Heroko Shop at herokoshop.com.