15-year-old Heman Bekele from Virginia, US, who developed a soap with the potential to "revolutionise skin cancer treatment," has been named the 2024 Kid of the Year by Time magazine and Time for Kids.
The teen was selected after developing a soap that the magazine described as a "more accessible method" for delivering medication to treat skin cancers, including melanoma.
Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer and carries the highest risk of mortality, but it is highly treatable if detected early. Although it may take years for such a product to reach the market, Heman is currently dedicating part of his weekdays to working in a lab at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, aiming to turn his vision into reality, TIME reported.
In 2023, 3M and Discovery Education recognised Bekele as America’s Top Young Scientist at the age of 14, following his competition against nine other finalists, as reported by USA TODAY. He also received a USD 25,000 (INR 2,065,000) cash prize.
How Childhood Experiences In Ethiopia Led To Skin Cancer Research
Born in Addis Ababa, Bekele shifted to the US with his family at the age of 4. Bekele has observed the impact of sun exposure on people's skin since his childhood in Ethiopia. He noticed that many individuals worked outdoors without any skin protection, according to TIME.
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Heman is currently working with Vito Rebecca, a molecular biologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, to develop his skin-cancer-fighting soap.
This collaboration enables Heman to conduct research in a professional lab, performing experiments with mice to test the effectiveness of his invention.
Despite facing challenges such as patenting the soap and obtaining FDA approval, Heman remains hopeful about the potential impact of his work. His dedication to science and innovation was highlighted during his presentation at the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists, where he addressed an audience of 8,000 people.