Carlsbad Teen Honored With National Award for Helping Others After Losing Dad to Cancer

While swimming in the freezing waters of Convict Lake in Mono County, California, two years after her dad died of cancer, Mia Humphrey, then 16 years old, kept thinking about an idea she and her family managed to come up with to help others heal from their grief.

It was an idea rooted in her dad's undying love of the outdoors and the many adventures he led the family on, through the mountain tops and the woods, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. It was something that would honor her father's legacy and, in the process, bring healing to people who, like her, needed to deal with the pain of losing someone special.

Humphrey, her two brothers, their family and friends partnered with Encinitas-based nonprofit Nature Unplugged and founded 2B-Rad to bring people together who are currently in a dark place facing hardship. The group's aim is for them to walk together through tough times, be it through hikes, backpacking trips, or joining outdoor adventures.

Humphrey turned her grief into something good

2B-Rad's monthlong hike-a-thon brought together 163 area participants last October. They hiked more than 6,600 miles and raised $68,000 for scholarships for Nature Unplugged's outdoor youth programs.

But that was just one of the ways the 18-year-old Humphrey has turned her grief into something good. The Carlsbad native could have fallen into despair, but instead, she focused her attention on finding ways to help others.

Humphrey said that she found herself lost and numb when her dad passed away. She did not know how to react initially and found herself moving through each day as a shell of who she was. Her faith and unbreakable connection with her father brought her back.

Humphrey, who will be studying integrated health and wellness at the University of Portland later this month, added that reconnecting with God and finding comfort in the fact that she would forever be with her dad helped her to find the strength she needed to keep moving forward with a positive attitude and outlook on life.

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Humphrey's humanitarian efforts recognized

Within a year after her father died of Richter's syndrome, a rare complication of lymphocytic leukemia, Humphrey managed to raise $93,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in seven weeks with the help of her lifelong friend Zoebelle Hinojosa. Her efforts were recognized as she was named Student of the Year by the nonprofit society.

The plaudits keep coming for Humphrey, who was recognized this year with the inaugural Alice Garvey Excellence in Youth Award from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA. Humphrey was picked from youths across the United States.

Humphrey volunteered with the Saint John Mini Vinnies since eighth grade. She joined the group as a charter member in 2017 and was asked to serve as its president for two years later in high school.

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