Hippocrates, the father of modern day medicine, taught that people should consider food to be their medicine, and medicine their food. But how many people do you know that actually apply such wisdom?

Only a minority do. However, one individual making big waves with her adherence to the philosophy is Danielle Cook, and she's helping hospitalized kids and their families learn how to adopt healthy eating habits to improve their chances of healing from various illnesses.

NationSwell reports that Cook became inspired to make healthy, nutritious food the foundation of a treatment plan for cancer when her son was diagnosed with stage three Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer, a type of cancer that affects the immune system, at age 11.

Until she changed up his diet, she remembers that "There was a huge sense of powerlessness and great sadness."

The mother of three, who worked for years doing cooking demonstrations in Washington, D.C., learned first-hand how important diet is when she began experimenting with special recipes for his son. She relays that the boy went from a "worn, depressed, tired kid to a healthy adolescent."

Her son's incredible transformation inspired her to found Happily Hungry, a program that consists of cooking and workshops for hospitalized kids and their families who are battling cancer and other illnesses.

Now a holistic nutritionist and educator, she's helping countless kids – and their families – not only transform their health but feel empowered to do something about their illnesses.

The video by NationSwell covers this and more: