In 2004, Michael Friedman, 15, was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. He underwent two surgeries, seven rounds of high-dose chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant, and radiation therapy, which caused his liver to fail. Friedman spent weeks in the hospital due to surgeries, chemotherapy and liver failure. For a teen, it was boring. To take his mind off the treatments and dwelling on an uncertain future, he distracted himself from his circumstances by watching DVD's and playing handheld video games.

During his cancer remission, the Make-A-Wish Foundation offered Friedman the chance to have one wish come true. Any wish. He told the foundation his wish was to start his own foundation, The Mikey's Way Foundation, with the mission of providing, at no cost, high-tech, interactive electronic toys and games to hospitalized pediatric cancer patients and computers, printers and other electronic equipment to the hospitals that treat children with cancer.

"Anything to distract them from the fact that they're in the hospital, they're sick, they're not feeling well," Friedman said. "It really makes an impact on the lives of these kids."

The Mikey's Way Foundation was launched, and he distributed his first gifts in December 2005. Friedman has suffered a cancer relapse, but remains focused on helping others. Now during hospital stays and cancer treatments, as CEO of The Mikey's Way Foundation, he spends his time thinking of ways to make the foundation grow.