Georgia FFA Alumna Sadie Knight was living and working in Washington, D.C., in October 2022 when she received a devastating diagnosis: Stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma. At the time, Knight was preparing to start a new job at the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), where she currently works as director of grassroots and political strategy.

“I was barreling toward my dream job to work for a member of Congress when I was diagnosed,” says Knight, who served as the Georgia FFA Association’s 2016-17 north region vice president. “I was climbing that ladder, helping bring farmers’ voices to D.C.”

In the six months of chemotherapy that followed her diagnosis, Knight says her colleagues were extremely supportive.

“This job was an absolute blessing,” she says. “The corn community at NCGA took care of me. The timing was serendipitous.”

Realizing young adults fighting cancer have few resources to lean on, Knight felt compelled to help. She founded a nonprofit called the 118 Foundation to support adults ages 18–39 and ensure they don’t face cancer alone.

“As I went through treatment and healing, I met a community that was broken, underserved and underloved,” Knight says. “I experienced the financial toxicity of being 25 or 26 years old and having debt collectors calling you because of the overwhelming amount of bills from cancer treatment. It’s traumatizing.”

A Path Forward

In June 2023, Knight was declared cancer-free and was determined to make a difference.

“On the other side of cancer, I knew I had to do something for the community I was now a part of,” she says. “I felt a calling to start this foundation, but my biggest hurdle was bills and finances.”

Knight shared her vision with friends at church, and an anonymous donor gave her a check for $3,000. She paid her past-due medical bills, bought a new laptop and got to work building the foundation.

“Once I got 501(c)(3) status, the money started pouring in with donations and grants,” Knight says. “There aren’t a lot of resources for young adults going through cancer, but the unfortunate truth is more and more young people are getting diagnosed with it.”

By September 2025, the 118 Foundation gave out $40,000 in financial assistance to cancer patients actively undergoing treatment or up to a maximum of five years post-treatment. Applications are accepted four times each year.

“We give money for whatever applicants need. If you need a couple hundred bucks to take your family to dinner and get yourself a pedicure, you got it,” Knight says. “But we also give money for medical bills or a mortgage payment — we want people to do what they need to feel whole again and restore joy and humanity in their life.”

Brighter Tomorrows
Visit 118Foundation.org to continue exploring how Knight and her board members help young people make a comeback from cancer.