“Teen Innovator Heman Bekele Named TIME’s Kid of the Year for Skin Cancer Solution”
Heman Bekele’s journey to becoming TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year is a remarkable story of curiosity, innovation, and determination. From a young age, Heman was always fascinated by the world around him, constantly asking questions and seeking to understand how things worked. This innate curiosity eventually blossomed into a deep passion for science, leading him to create a groundbreaking invention—a bar of soap designed to treat the early stages of skin cancer.
At just 15 years old, Heman spent the past year developing what he calls SCTS, or Skin Cancer Treating Soap. This isn’t just any ordinary soap; it’s a scientific breakthrough in the fight against skin cancer. The soap contains a special formula infused with cancer-fighting chemicals, including Imidazoquinolines, which are encapsulated in a lipid-based nanoparticle. The beauty of this invention lies in its simplicity and accessibility—while the soap’s suds wash away, the medicinal components remain on the skin, continuing to fight the disease.
Heman’s innovation earned him first place in the 2023 Young Scientist Challenge, a prestigious competition that showcases the best and brightest young minds in science. This achievement not only won him a $25,000 prize, which he plans to reinvest in his project and education, but also caught the attention of TIME Magazine, who named him Kid of the Year for 2024.
Heman’s inspiration for this project stems from his early childhood in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He recalls seeing people working under the scorching sun and, as he grew older, realizing the severe impact of ultraviolet radiation on the skin. After moving to the United States at the age of 4, these memories stayed with him, fueling his desire to create an affordable and accessible solution to the global problem of skin cancer.
Heman’s ultimate goal is to bring the SCTS to market by 2028, making skin cancer treatment affordable and accessible to everyone, particularly in regions where healthcare costs are prohibitively high. He’s already making strides toward this goal by dedicating part of his time to working in a lab at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
His journey is a testament to the power of curiosity and innovation, and it’s clear that Heman Bekele is not just a young scientist but a visionary with the potential to change the world.
-
Share News with us via WhatsApp:08163658925 or Email: naijaeyes1@gmail.com
Join Our Social Media Channels:
WhatsApp:NaijaEyes
Facebook: NaijaEyes
Twitter: NaijaEyes
Instagram: NaijaEyes
TikTok: NaijaEyes
