Taylor Hammerstein has had one goal in life since the age of 7 — to help find a cure for blood cancers.

“I remember the day after my mom died, I told my dad I was going to find a cure for cancer,” recalls the Savannah Christian Prep senior. “It was a change that has given me purpose in life.”

Taylor’s mom, Angie Cowart-Hammerstein, passed away in 2007 at the age of 42. She had been diagnosed in 2002 with Adenocarcinoma of the appendix, a rare type of cancer that affects fewer than 1,000 people a year.

Taylor is now competing for the “Student of the Year” award from the Savannah chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America by raising as much money as possible through March 23.

Cowart-Hammerstein was a 1983 graduate of Bryan County High School, where she was valedictorian and homecoming queen. She graduated from the University of Georgia and went on to get an MBA from Brenau University, eventually becoming director of Brewton-Parker College’s Savannah campus.

Her family still runs Cowart’s Café in Pembroke.

Taylor has several fund-raising activities planned at her school, where she is a member of the National Honor Society, Key Club, the student ministry program and the softball team. She’ll also be accepting donations through the restaurant and said she has sent letters to local businesses seeking donations.

“Cancer research keeps advancing every year, but it takes money to do more research,” she said. “It means everything to me to help other families in the same situation.”

Taylor said she plans on attending Augusta University to major in chemistry and then go on to medical school to become an oncologist.

“I thought about going into research, but I think I can do more going into practice,” she said. “I want to be hands on with the people and their families going through cancer treatments and be able to minister to them that way.”

Taylor’s fundraising page can be found at http://events.lls.org/ga/savannahsoy2018/thammerste#Welcome-to-Taylor-Hammersteins-SOY-Fundraising-Page.