While watching her infant child receive chemotherapy, Kara Moorehead realized something had to be done.

When Kara was pregnant with her daughter, Mati, an ultrasound found a lesion on the baby. What was first diagnosed as spina bifida was later found to be a sacrococcygeal teratoma, a cancerous tumor.

When surgery was unable to remove the entire tumor, Mati, at one month old, underwent chemo treatments. Kara and her husband watched as Mati endured six rounds of treatment.

The part that struck Kara was that Mati was receiving the same drug an adult would.

“I just thought, ‘it’s a crying shame she’s getting the same drug as an adult,’” Kara recalls. “There are very few drugs out there that are specifically for children with certain cancers.”

Kara’s drive led to the inaugural Fight Like a Kid 5k and 10k last year at the Ozark Trail Festival in Cleburne County, which raised $11,597 for childhood cancer research at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

The “Fight” didn’t stop there. Kara has also been instrumental in bringing a childhood cancer license plate to the state.

It was a long process that included a lot of “you can’t do it” statements, including some from former state legislators, along the way. “The best way to get me to do something is to say I can’t do it.” Kara says.

The license plate came to fruition earlier this year and has been available since Feb. 26. For every license plate that costs $35, the Arkansas Children’s Hospital childhood cancer research receives $25. In just more than two months, 246 license plates had been sold, raising another $6,150 for cancer research.

The “Fight” has no plans of stopping, either. Another “Fight Like a Kid” race is coming the last Saturday in September.

Kara credits her daughter, Mati, who has been cancer free since September 2012, with serving as the greater purpose of God’s plan. “From the beginning, I knew God made Mati exactly how He wanted her,” Kara said.

There’s no doubt in Kara’s mind, this is God’s purpose for her life. “It’s my job,” she says. “This is why I was put here by God. I don’t want to fail.”

Helping kids in the process is just an added bonus for Kara. “I get the most rewarding feeling for helping the kids,” she says. “I love helping people, and to do it for kids, they deserve a fighting chance.”