In 2007, when Faith Marr was 4 years old, she was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer on her spine and had what was to become the first of eight surgeries replacing her vertebrae with titanium rods.

At StoryCorps, Faith, 10, talk with her father, Jerris, about the tremendous pain she dealt with and shares some of the lessons battling cancer has taught her.

Faith’s cancer is now in remission and when she turns 18, Jerris plans to get a tattoo in her honor that says, “Keep the Faith.”

Originally aired July 12, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Above: Faith in 2008, on her 5th birthday. Photo courtesy of Jerris Marr.