- A 14-year-old African-American boy named Herman Bekele who invented a soap that cures skin cancer has won an award as America’s youngest scientist.
- Herman Bekele is a ninth grader at W.T. Woodson High School in Annandale who was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The 14-year-old developed a bar of soap that could be useful in the treatment of melanoma, a skin cancer that is diagnosed in about 100,000 people in the US each year and kills approximately 8,000.
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“I was looking into the issue of skin cancer and the fact that, especially in third world countries, people living under the poverty line just can’t afford the treatment necessary for skin cancer led me to try to come up with a solution and that solution ended up being a Skin Cancer Treating Soap,” he said.
He mentioned that over the next five years, he hopes to refine his innovation and create a nonprofit organization that will distribute this low-cost solution to communities in need.
“It took about a year and a half to develop, but it’s at the stage where it’s at today, and of course, there’s still a lot left to create this part of soap. It’s supposed to help heal the skin internally, which will then show results externally because the skin disease will slowly start to fade away,” he added.
14-year-old boy invents soap that cures cancer, wins award as America’s youngest scientist
Heman said in fifteen years, he hopes to be a successful electrical engineer who has contributed significantly to the industry, with a fulfilling personal life with a loving family and a strong network of friends.
