14-Year-Old Develops Cancer-Fighting Soap
What do you imagine most 14-year-olds doing? Going to school, of course. Talking with friends. Playing video games. Maybe taking part in after-school sports.
You probably don't imagine them developing a treatment for cancer.
But a 14-year-old high school student from Virginia has done just that.
Heman Bekele has won a $25,000 prize for developing soap that treats skin cancer.
In October, he won the 3M Young Scientist Challenge in St. Paul, Minnesota, and got the title of "America's Top Young Scientist."
To enter the contest, students had to submit a short video describing a new invention that could help solve a problem for themselves, their communities or the world.
The top 10 finalists were then paired with a 3M scientist to develop a prototype of their invention. 3M is a global technology company based in St. Paul.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the US, and the third most common type around the world. Treating it has been found to cost nearly $9 billion a year in the US alone.
Heman says the high cost of treatment inspired him to develop a cheap way to help.
His soap includes three ingredients that have been found to help the body's cells fight cancer — and it costs just $0.50 per bar.
He said the most important thing was for his soap to be accessible to as many people as possible.
Heman says he'll use the $25,000 prize to help pay for the development of his soap, and for his future education.
Other kids in the challenge developed things like a way to use seaweed to improve soil quality, or a patch with tiny needles that helps people automatically take their medication.
