Created: 5/11/2009 1:39:20 PM 
ORANGE PARK, FL -- Between her rounds of chemotherapy and her schoolwork, 10-year-old Helen Coutant swims laps at the YMCA.
"Before I was diagnosed with the tumor, I would give up very easily at the first sign I was tired. I would probably give up but now I have an extra boost to keep me going," Coutant told First Coast News.
The 5th grader from Orange Park Elementary was diagnosed with brain cancer two years ago.
She says swimming helps keep her spirits high and her energy up.
Coutant also finds inspiration in Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps. She says they have something in common.
"He had something to overcome and he did," says Coutant, referring to Phelps' ADHD. "It was hard but he kept going with it and that inspired me."
Coutant's dream has been to meet Phelps. This weekend, the local non-profit organization, Dreams Come True, made her wish come true.
Coutant and her family were flown to Phelps' hometown of Baltimore. They spent the day with him, eating lunch and watching him swim. Phelps also autographed her swim cap.
"It has definitely inspired me to try even harder and go even farther," says Coutant.
Guys with Ties of Jacksonville is Coutant's sponsor for Dreams Come True. Dreams is the only locally based non-proft organization dedicated to fulfilling dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses.
