Proudly sponsored by 

Keynote: Cultivating Resistance:  My Journey from Cancer Kid to Astronaut, Lessons learned from overcoming childhood cancer to reaching the stars.

Friday, November 12, 9:00 am CT

HAYLEY ARCENEAUX

A pediatric cancer diagnosis at age 10 did not put dreams on hold for Hayley Arceneaux. Her experience not only cured her but also reshaped her career aspirations. Now a physician assistant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, she is giving back to the place that saved her life as a child. In a journey that has come full circle, she served as an ambassador for the hospital on Inspiration4, the first all-civilian mission to orbit Earth. In addition to serving as the medical officer on Inspiration4, Hayley made history in other ways, becoming the first person with a prosthesis, the first pediatric cancer survivor, and the youngest American orbital astronaut.

Hayley was 10 years old and preparing to earn her black belt in taekwondo when one of her knees began to ache. A lump above her knee was diagnosed as osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Her curative treatment included a year of chemotherapy and limb-sparing surgery, which saved her leg. Hayley now works at St. Jude caring for pediatric leukemia and lymphoma patients, fulfilling her long-held dream of returning to the hospital as a healthcare provider.

When approached about the opportunity to go to space, Hayley reacted first with disbelief, then with enthusiasm. Family members, including a brother and sister-in-law who are both aerospace engineers, strongly supported her decision.

Training for space consisted of six months of intensive preparation, including academic coursework, long hours in the spacecraft simulator, centrifuge training, hypoxia exposure, zero-gravity flights, and water survival training. The crew also climbed Mount Rainier together.

On September 15, 2021, Hayley and her fellow Inspiration4 crew members launched aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. They orbited Earth for three days before safely returning, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean. While in orbit, the crew participated in multiple biomedical research studies.

One of the highlights of Hayley’s time in space was a video call with former and current patients at St. Jude. “I made sure this call would happen so I could show patients what their future could look like—whether they want to be astronauts or pursue whatever big dream they imagine.”

The mission raised more than $250 million for St. Jude. Inspiration4 continues to make an impact for the hospital and beyond, and the crew’s journey is featured in the Netflix docuseries Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space.

Post-space life for Hayley includes returning home to continue her work as a physician assistant and embracing the new perspective that spaceflight has given her. She has a passion for exploring Earth and has now visited all seven continents. Inspired to share her journey, she published her memoir Wild Ride: A Memoir of IV Drips and Rocket Ships, as well as the young readers edition, Wild Ride: My Journey from Cancer Kid to Astronaut. Most recently, she published the children’s picture book Astronaut Hayley’s Brave Adventure. One of her greatest joys is sharing her story of hope and resilience through speaking.