Trip Ideas Space Travel + Astronomy Meet Hayley Arceneaux, the Cancer Survivor Heading to Space to Inspire Her Patients at St. Jude St. Jude Children's Research Hospital helped this young medical professional keep looking up — literally. By Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca Instagram Twitter Website Stacey Leasca is an award-winning journalist with nearly two decades of newsroom experience. Her photos, videos, and words have appeared in print or online for Travel + Leisure, Time, Los Angeles Times, Glamour, Men's Health, GlobalPost, LA Confidential, and many more. Stacey also served as an adjunct professor of journalism at the University of Southern California teaching feature writing and visual journalism. She is now pursuing her Ph.D., specializing in building resiliency to disinformation in early-career journalists. * 17+ years of journalism experience * 5+ years covering travel * LA Press Club award-winning feature writer * LA Press Club finalist in the travel, sports, and, soft feature categories Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on July 26, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Never tell Hayley Arceneaux the odds — she'll beat them every time. Two decades ago, Arceneaux entered St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as a patient. There, she received treatment for bone cancer and beat it. Years later, she grew up to become a physician assistant at the very hospital that saved her. And now, because of her dedication to helping others, she could soon become both the youngest American to ever orbit the Earth and the first person with a prosthetic body part to visit space. This is all because Arceneaux was hand-selected to become a crew member on Inspiration4, the first all-civilian space flight. Mike Brown/Courtesy of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital "It's an incredible honor to be a part of the mission, and even though I can't wait to get up there and experience it, I'm really enjoying the preparation and training," Arceneaux shared with Travel + Leisure. "I love learning and experiencing new things, and I've really enjoyed getting to know the rest of the crew. And I especially love talking to my patients about the mission and showing them life beyond cancer is not only possible, but can be full and meaningful." Courtesy of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital In early 2021, billionaire Jared Isaacman announced that he bought out the entire SpaceX rocket launch on Sept. 15 to ensure the mission wasn't just for the ultra-rich. So, he gave away two of the four seats to St. Jude, one for a sweepstakes winner, and the other for someone who embodied hope — and that's where Arceneaux came in. Courtesy of Inspiration4 "When I was invited to join the Inspiration4 mission, I said yes without hesitation," she says. "I knew this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me, an incredible fundraising effort for the hospital that saved my life, and a source of hope for kids going through cancer treatment." As for what she's most excited to experience, Arceneaux reveals it's all about looking back and seeing Earth from space and experiencing zero gravity for the first time. Courtesy of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital "On a broader scale, I'm excited for what this mission means for the future of space travel — opening up space travel to civilians and people who might not have been able to meet the physical requirements of traditional astronaut programs," she says. "And I'm excited that our journey is inspiring cancer survivors and others who have overcome challenges to keep pursuing their dreams and to never lose hope that brighter days are around the corner." Courtesy of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Arceneaux also knows that her journey isn't one she's taking alone, but rather alongside every person who helped her, every person she can inspire to notice and give back to St. Jude, and her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. As Arceneaux says, "The hospital has always represented hope to me and to the patients, and the city rallies around it as a beacon of light for children and for the future wellbeing of generations to come." Want to get involved? St.Jude has set up a new website so everyone can be a part of the mission, and even win a trip to the launch, here. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit