Help and Hope Happen Here

Jannell and Keith Royer's daughter McKenna was experiencing headaches before her Diffuse Midline Glioma diagnosis in August of 2023. This Pediatric Brain Cancer behaves in a similar manner to DIPG, leaving little room for a lifespan which is normally expected to be 9-12 months.  McKenna did not even make it that far, passing away on February 26th of 2024, 6 months after being diagnosed. Jannell and Keith will talk about how McKenna felt surprisingly well during almost all of her battle, until 8 days before her passing when she suddenly went downhill health wise. Jannell and Keith will also about their Brave Like M...

BobbiJo  Pansier met Andy Standish , the founder of the Standish Foundation For Children, at an event and just a few weeks later Bobbi Jo joined this World Wide Foundation and is now its Global Programs Manager. This Foundation works with low income and middle income countries to help children who are suffering from diseases such as Pediatric Cancer and other maladies with many aspects of healthcare. This foundation is 15 years old and is alive in 70 countries around the world, and has served 1 million children. Bobbi Jo is a Child Life Specialist and uses her background in psychosocial issues to h...

Sam Taylor's daughter Ellie has been free from her treatment for Rhadomyosarcoma since April of 2023. 6 months after that, Sam started her DEEP C PODCAST which focuses on parents and how they are able to deal with their the children's Pediatric Cancer battles. This podcast is so well known that Sam hears each day from at least one parent who has listened to her podcast or knows about it, and Sam develops great relationships with all of her guests. Sam also spends a great deal of time on her Advocacy work for the cause of Pediatric Cancer, including her work...

Ansley Cochran's parents found a lump on their 2 year old daughter's neck in 1999, and this lump was the forerunner of her diagnosis of Neuroblastoma. Ansley was able to live for 19 more years , a time period that included very difficult treatment which was interrupted by a 4 1/2 year period of remission. Ansley's health began to decline in February of 2017 and her passing took place on May 22nd of 2018 when Ansley was 21 years old. Ansley's mom Donna will talk about both Ansley and the Ansley Foundation on today's podcast. 

Dr. Danielle Cameron knew that she was interested in medicine when she was a girl growing into her teenage and adolescent years while watching her father who had a career as a Cardiac Surgeon. Danielle talks about that on today's podcast as well as her many interests in the field of Pediatric Oncology, especially when it concerns solid tumors. Danielle also lends her voice as a member of a number of National committees for Organizations that are concerned with a wide variety of Pediatric Cancer issues. 

From her early years , HELPING was a word that described what Dr. Kate Lund enjoyed doing for others, and this led to her career as a Clinical Psychologist and her roles in the Pediatric Cancer World. One of these roles was as a volunteer for the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation which took place for nearly 25 years and her most recent and current role has been training her dog Wally to become a Therapy Dog who visits Pediatric Cancer patients and brings them comfort at Seattle Children's Hospital. 

After surviving her childhood fight with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Claire Galvin has gone on to have an outstanding academic career, which has included holding a double major in Biology and Psychology which led to her receiving an Honors Bachelor Degree from the University of Toronto, a Master of Science Degree in Experimental Medicine from the University of British Columbia, and is now pursuing her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Concordia University in Montreal. Clair is currently working on her Dissertation which involves the study of Pediatric Cancer survivors and how they have transitioned into adulthood. Claire's dissertation is called...

After being diagnosed with Osteosarcoma when she was 10 years old in 2012 Bailey Moody decided that despite what some were saying, her budding athletic career was not over. Since that time, Bailey has been a member of the Women's Wheelchair Basketball National Team since 2018 as a 16 year old, winning World Championships in 2019 and 2023, a two time Paralympian, winning a Bronze Medal in Tokyo in 2021 and a Silver Medal in Paris in 2024, winning 5 National Collegiate Championships from 2021 to 2015 at the University of Alabama, Winning the Finals MVP award after her 30 point effort in the final game of 2025, and being named an...

Alex Lynch was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia , which came with  2 very rare genetic markers which only 2 percent of ALL kids have had to deal with. Alex's diagnosis came in May of this year and he is now in his consolidation stage. Alex and his mom Yuliya will talk about what Alex has been through and what his treatment future might hold. They will also talk about Alex's 6 sibling's who range in age from 2 months to 14 years .  If you would like to see how Alex is doing and hopefully send him a message of encouragement, please contact him at ht...

Losing one child is terrible under any circumstances but losing 2 children, to different tragedies is more than anyone should ever be burdened with. Adrienne Bender will talk about the loss of her 15 year old daughter Mackenzie who was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia after being diagnosed with this Pediatric Blood cancer when she was 8 years old in 2011, was in remission for 5 years, then relapsed and passed away in 2018. Adrienne will also talk about her son Kyler, who developed substance abuse problems beginning when he was 12 years old, fought his demons, and was on his way to what was thought...

After experiencing stomach pains and fevers in the spring of 2023, Jordan Vanstee's then 2 year old son Kian was diagnosed with B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Kian went through very difficult treatment at McMaster's Children's Hospital in Canada , but with the help of his Disney Hero Mickey Mouse and the Make a Wish Foundation, Kian is now in remission and is living his best life possible. 

Kailyn Thelen has health issues of her own, which do not include any type of cancer, and still is able to run her own non-profit which concentrates on making blankets for children with pediatric cancer and other diseases. Kailyn met Ali Herbert when she was just 2 months away from passing away from her battle with Very High Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, which happened on November 29th of 2020, the same day as her mom Heather's birthday. Kailyn will talk about Ali and about what she does to help others, as she is dealing with her own health issues.

Nici and John Robinson live in England and lost their son Charlie to a Grade 3 Ependymoma in 2021, after he was diagnosed with this Brain Tumor when he was 2 years old in June of 2018. Nici and John will talk about their beloved son and will also discuss the Respite Homes that they have made available for families who are going through a Pediatric Cancer diagnosis with one of their children. The Robinson's have set these Respite Homes up through their Thumbs Up For Charlie Foundation.

What was thought to be a stomach ailment for Meryl Summers 1st grade daughter Adelia became much more than that in February of 2023 when she was diagnosed with the Pediatric Brain Cancer Diffuse Midline Glioma. Adelia was called the Wonder Girl for so many reasons during her 15 month battle with this disease which very sadly ended with her passing on May 30th of 2024. Since that time, Meryl has become a fierce advocate for the cause of Pediatric Brain Cancer and has testified in the Massachusetts State House for a bill which recognizes the cause of Pediatric Cancer be passed...

After recovering from her battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in the late 1990's Shannon Hartey had a number of late effects that bothered her until 2020. By that time Shannon was in her early 30's  and these late effects got so bad, that Shannon was unable to know from day to day whether the intense  pain level that she was receiving in her head for a variety of reasons  combined with other cognitive issues that can happen to her at any time , will allow her to have even a normal day. The alternative, which happens regularly, takes her to a hea...

After Megan Bugg was diagnosed with Stage 4 Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma in late 2014, she underwent a very difficult treatment protocol which included 150 weeks of toxic Chemotherapy , 200 Radiation treatments, 5 trips to the ICU, and 8 surgeries. Even so, Megan fought her disease every day and became an amazing and well known advocate for the cause of Pediatric Cancer before her passing on March 9th of 2022, 7 years and 2 months after her diagnosis.

Juno Wollf was born on October 11th of 2022 and was doing well until James noticed a lump under his right armpit. As happens too often, the doctors who looked at Juno did not figure out that this lump was an indication of a Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor, which was finally diagnosed on December 17th of 2022. Just 47 days after Juno's diagnosis on February of 2023, he passed away from this form of Pediatric Cancer, which is diagnosed in 20-25 kids each year. Juno only lived for a total of 114 days. 

Bonnie Corcoran will talk about her beloved daughter Brenna who was diagnosed with DIPG, just 8 months after Bonnie and her husband Robert had taken custody of her, then adopted her when she was 3 1/2 years old. Brenna was born with a Cocaine addiction thanks to a family member and was welcomed by Brenna, her husband Robert, and their 5 other children, all of whom were at least 10 years older then she was. Brenna fought her DIPG as much as she could, before passing away on September 6th of 2022. 

Keith Desserich-will talk about the budget cuts from the National Insititute of Health, a huge cut from the National Cancer Institute which I just found out about and I mentioned in my outro, and other monetary losses that will have a negative affect for Pediatric Cancer patients and their families.

Keith Desserich is one of the most influential members of the Pediatric Cancer community, as he co founded and is the Chairman of the Cure Starts Now Foundation. His Foundation concentrates on trying to cure the ravages of DIPG and DMG, 2 Pediatric Brain cancers which have the number ZERO next to their survival rate. Keith will talk about the progress that his Foundation has made over the years, and will talk in detail about the cuts at the National Institute of Health and money taken from Universities who are involved in research that will greatly effect in a negative...

Jonathan Cottor and his family were living in England when his son Ryan was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy when he was 9 months old in 2001. Ryan was not expected to live past his 2nd birthday but lived 15 years longer than expected, passing away in December of 2018. While in England , Jonathan and his wife Holly saw a Respite Home that was common in England but was unheard of in the United States. Jonathan moved his family to his original roots in Phoenix Arizona in 2003, where he and Holly created the Ryan house, which was similar to the home that they...

Being a Certified Child Life Specialist is one of the most important careers that anyone who has a passion for those that are going through a Pediatric Cancer experience can aspire to. Shani Thornton is a prototype for how important this role is and she will talk about the many things that she is involved with on a daily basis as a Child Life Specialist that helps so many people deal with the psychosocial part of dealing with a disease that no one wants or deserves. 

Debi Mitchell's son Austin was diagnosed with Stage 3 Acute T Cell Lymphoblastic Non Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2021 when he was 12 years old, under the assumption that his issue before this diagnosis had to do with Asthma. Today, Austin is doing very well and is trying to establish himself as an actor. While spending her time during Austin's treatment at a Northern California Hospital which would become affectionately known as the "Kaiser Resort", Debi met other mom's who were with their children and were being treated for different forms of Pediatric Cancer. During this time in the "Kaiser Resort" these moms...

After their 21 month old daughter Lily was experiencing stomach pains in April of 2024, Nicky and Dan Rankin took her to an Emergency Room and she was then admitted to Children's Hospital at the Anschulz campus in Aurora, Colorado. Shortly after that, Lily was diagnosed with High Risk Neuroblastoma. 16 months later as we enter August of 2025, Lily is doing as well as possible . Dan will discuss what Lily has been through and the Half Triathlon that he has been training for to raise money because of the great treatment that Lily has received at Children's Hospital.

Amy Dixon took her then 9 year old son Ben to his pediatrician and many specialists early in 2019 to find out what was the cause of the leg pain that had been bothering him. The one thing that these doctors agreed about was that it was NOT Cancer related. Unfortunately however, that was not the case. Ben was finally diagnosed with the Bone Cancer Ewings Sarcoma and after his first treatment protocol was declared to be in remission. 3 months later, in June of 2020, Ben relapsed which led to his sudden passing on July 8th of 2021 .

After being fortunate enough to interview their son Christian back in July of 2024, I was equally fortunate to interview Christian's parents Martin and Shanna who talked form their perspective about their then 15 year old son Christian's battle with a Pediatric Brain cancer known as a Pineal Paranchymal Tumor with Intermediate Differentation. Christian received this diagnosis in 2015 and in the previous 15 years , this diagnosis was given a total of 5 times. Fortunately, as the Englerts will detail, Christian is doing as well as possible, some 10 years after a diagnosis that was thought by doctors to be one that he would not...

Gisela Chavez's then 4 year old daughter Arianny was experiencing flu like symptoms during the 2024 Christmas season and finally after her fever spiked to the 104-105 range Gisela took Arianny to Advovcate Children's Hospital not too far from Chicago, where she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Arianny's diagnosis was given just after her 5th birthday in January of this year, and she has completed 6 months out of a treatment protocol that still has 2 years to go. 

After losing 3 lbs out of his less than 30 pound frame and not eating well in late 2021, Shelby Nadeau took her son Stryder to doctors, neither of whom thought that there was anything wrong with him physically. Just a couple of weeks later however, Stryder was diagnosed with Stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma after proper tests were ordered at Sacramento Children's Hospital which showed that there were plenty of tumors to be found. 

Heather Lino's then 3 year old son James was given a double whammy in 2020 when he was first diagnosed with T Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma in July, and then roughly one month into his treatment he was diagnosed with a Chromosomal disorder known as Ring 14 Syndrome. This disorder affects 200-250 people around the world. This affliction causes seizures and intellectual disabilities and can have other problems associated with it as well. James is now 8 years old and is living his best life possible. 

Patty Furco's then 4 year old daughter Abby was diagnosed with Pre B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2011, a diagnosis which was changed 2 weeks later to Philadelphia Chromosome Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. This diagnosis reduced Abby's chances of survival to 20 percent. Patty will talk about the 10 years that Abby was able to somehow survive this very difficult form of Leukemia, which included her doctors saying that she had 48 hours to live in May of 2016. Patty and her husband very sadly began to make funeral arrangements and as Abby's time was supposedly nearing its end, somehow she recovered and was able...

Normally a diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer happens to women who are much older than 14 years old, which is what happened to Olivia Hebert in October of 2024. Olivia has been through some difficult times since her diagnosis including a temporary loss of her vision, but she was able to return to school in March, her vision has been getting better, and she is just finishing up a vacation to Disneyworld with her family. 

Kim and Trey Bowman's daughter Bella went through a long period of unexplained illnesses until she was diagnosed with an Ependymoma Brain Tumor on New Years day of 2011. During her treatment she went through a period of Proton Radiation which led to a diagnosis of Brain Stem Necrosis, which she was unable to get past. Bella ultimately passed away from this form of Pediatric Brain cancer on December 23 rd of 2011, nearly one year after her original diagnosis. 

Cedar Connell was 15 years old when he found himself on his way to Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago to begin his treatment for B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2022. Cedar and his mom Kiki will talk about the difficult treatment that he went through, including his move from Chicago to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston in 2023. Cedar is now getting ready to do his part for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as TEAM CONNELLSLLS will be getting ready for a 31 day challenge beginning on July 1st and ending on August 1st to exercise 3 miles each day for...

Waiting for a proper cancer diagnosis for 9 months is something that should never happen, especially when the doctor says that the chances of cancer on a 1-10 scale were ZERO in his opinion. Unfortunately that is what happened to Jen and Will Fox in regards to their then 8 year old son who was finally diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma in the winter of 2018, and passed away on May 25th of 2021. 

Aly Arenholz was a freshman in high school when she was diagnosed with Stage 2 Thyroid Cancer when she was 15 years old in 2021. After undergoing a very difficult battle during much of it, Aly just graduated from high school and will be attending the University of Kansas in the fall where she hopes her career path will focus on becoming a Child Life Specialist. Aly will also talk about her Non-Profit KICK CANCER LIKE A GIRL BOSS, which she started while in treatment and focuses on trying to bring a smile to the faces of Pediatric Cancer Patients. 

Alexandra Wilson passed away just 10 months after being diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in March of 2002, from this Blood Cancer that normally has a very high cure rate. Her twin sister Arianna will talk about her sister and about her role as the now official Executive Director of the Alex's Team Foundation which was named in Alexandra's honor, and helps in many ways the cause of Pediatric Cancer, with an emphasis on the Pediatric Cancer Nursing Community. 

Jennifer Vertentes was a police officer in Providence Rhode Island when she decided to go to Hasbro Children's Hospital on Thanksgiving Day of 2018 to meet kids who had to spend their Thanksgiving being treated for different reasons, including being treated for Pediatric Cancer. While she was there she met 3 year old Emerson Lucier who was going through her 3rd battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia . This meeting inspired Jennifer to start her HERO PACKAGE FOUNDATION to help put a smile on the faces of these kids who were battling these difficult diseases. Jennifer, who in 2023 had to retire from the...

After their 16 year old son Zach passed away from Osteosarcoma in November of 2021, Jon and Jenn Wall wanted to start a non profit focused around some type of Peer Counseling. The found it as they established ZACHS BRIDGE which partners parents who have already lost a child to Pediatric Cancer with parents who are going through their own child's pediatric cancer battle. The parents who have lost a child are there to help counsel the parents who are going through this same type of terrible experience, and trying to help them navigate this path as easily as possible. 

Kelsey Lauria began to have massive headaches early in the fall of her senior year in high school in 2014 which led to her diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. In the later part of the winter in 2015, Kelsey experienced heart failure which led to her passing on April 18th, just 6 days after her 18th birthday and less than 6 months after her cancer diagnosis. During her treatment, Kelsey started her Bald Beauties Project to help in the fight against Pediatric Cancer and this successful non-profit has been run by her mom Maya since Kelsey's passing. 

Despite being diagnosed with a very rare form of Pediatric Brain cancer when he was 6 years old in 2021, Gabe Sorensen is living as good of a life as possible some 4 years later. Gabe was treated at St. Jude's and his goals for the future are either to become a doctor to help cure Pediatric Cancer or become a member of the Space Program. 

Livvy Bedard and Caeleigh Brown met while on the Swimming Team in Middle School. Caeleigh was diagnosed with Leukemia while a member of this team in January of 2017, shortly after setting her personal best during a swimming meet. Caleigh is now a Nursing Student at James Madison University. Livvy is working with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as she attempts to become a Visionary of the Year by raising money in honor of Caeleigh and what she went through. Livvy began this quest on March 27th and has an upcoming fundraising deadline of June 5th. 

After Matt and Breanna's son 10 1/2 year old son Landon passed away from Medulloblastoma in December of 2022, Matt took up running as a way to cope with the grief from his beloved son's passing. In March of this year, Matt's running took him to Lake Folsom in Auburn California where he lives and he began a 140 mile run that honored the memory of Landon and honored 105 other Pediatric Cancer Warriors, some of whom are fighters. some of whom are survivors, and some of whom have passed away. This amazing accomplished was also captured on a 45 minute film which was put...

Dr. Emma Jones is a Best Selling author because of her book entitled THE PHOENIX BLUEPRINT: RISING STRONGER FROM THE BLAZE OF HEALTHCARE which details the real problem of BURNOUT in the Medical Community. Emma has been a victim of burnout twice and she will talk about her book plus her role as a Palliative Care Physician for Pediatric Cancer and Adolescent Cancer patients.

Dr. Allie Neenan became very interested in Pediatric Cancer while a student at the University of Texas in Dallas  and after getting her degree, she received her Masters and Doctorate at Eastern Michigan University, Allie is now a Doctor who focuses on Psychology and has taken her considerable knowledge and skill to the world of Pediatric Cancer where she started her CANCER CUSHION Resource Library, which has answers to so many questions which arise during an individual and family's Pediatric Cancer journey.

When Brandon Cary decided to join the Idaho Pediatric Cancer Coalition as its Secretary he did not envision becoming the President of this non-profit. Since he did however, this Coalition has become the leading Pediatric Cancer non-profit in the area and has plans to expand its scope to other communities in Idaho including Boise in the near future. As part of its mission , the Coalition focuses on helping with the "little things" that the families involved with Pediatric Cancer situations can use as much help with as possible.

Imagine the shock and horror of having a child be diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, going through treatment for that for 8 months,, relapsing 2 months later, and then being told that the first diagnosis was wrong, and that the child actually had  Ewings Sarcoma. That is what happened to then 2 1/2 year old Connor Mocey who is now 5 years old and doing as well as possible while dealing with this difficult Bone Cancer. 

When 3 1/2 year old Angelina Phillips was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma in 2013, one oncologist actually thought that her diagnosis was so bad that her mom Danielle should consider not even giving her treatment, Angelina did receive treatment which included 3 relapses and was able to go on some memorable trips during her battle which ended with her passing just before Covid began in late February of 2020. 

Katie Histing was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma when she was a 17 year old High School Senior in 2018. Katie fought her disease like a true Champion, made countless friends along the way and will always be known as a Pediatric Cancer Icon. Katie passed away on November 25th of 2024, approximately 6 months after Katie was told that there were no more curative options for her. 

Gavin and Wendy Lindberg's son Evan was diagnosed with Stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma in 2006 when he was 3 years old. His diagnosis came on very quickly and his cancer spread very quickly. As I said on our podcast, anyone would need a strong stomach just to read about the litany of issues that Evan had to go through before his passing in October of 2010 including trips to 4 different hospitals, 4 relapses, and 4 brain surgeries. 

After he had a series of debilitating headaches, 11 year old Brett Haubrich was diagnosed with a Grade 3 Anaplastic Astrocytoma Brain Tumor in May of 2014. Despite always having his thumbs up during his treatment which portrayed his attitude about this fight, Brett lost his battle with this form of Pediatric Brain Cancer on January 10th of 2018. 

Emily McHugh went through a very difficult treatment protocol after being diagnosed with Stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma in 2009 before she turned 4 years old. Originally Emily was thought to have had Leukemia. Emily also has had to deal with many side effects from her treatment but still has been able to live as good of a life as possible as she is now a sophomore in college, and will be spending her next academic year at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. 

Ethan Pompeo was 13 years old when he began to experience tics, sudden movements , and deep anxiety which was caused by PANDAS, an inflammatory disease which affects 1 in 200 people and is very difficult to diagnose. At the age of 23 Ethan was finally given his diagnosis and over the last 8 years he has built a business which has focused on the perfectly legal supplement know as CBD to help himself and 40, 000 others find ways to help lessen and eliminate pain that they have been living with.

While rubbing her 3 year old daughter Chelsea's belly, Alison Hicks felt a lump which was shortly diagnosed as a Stage 4 Wilms Tumor. Chelsea fought this Pediatric  Kidney Cancer for nearly 2 years before passing away after a treatment protocol which was very difficult from the beginning to its end. As a result of Chelsea's battle and passing, Alison started the Chelsea Hicks Foundation which focuses on keeping a smile on Pediatric Cancer patients as they go through their impatient hospital treatments. 

The normal protocol for a diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is around 2 years of treatment but Lorie Chartiers daughter Gracie, who was diagnosed with this form of Pediatric Blood cancer when she was turning 10 years old in 2016, did not have the luxury of a normal maintenance program during her recovery. For the past 6 years leading up to 2025, she has struggled with many post treatment side effects which have hampered her, especially from a psychosocial point of view. Now 18 years old, Gracie is doing what she can to lead her best life possible. 

Dr. John Van Doorninck is a Pediatric Cancer Hematologist and Oncologist in Denver Colorado. He is also an active member and strong supporter of World Child Cancer, an International Organization whose main focus is to help lower income and middle income countries who do not have the wealth, resources, or expertise to help the Pediatric Cancer communities, as wealthy countries such as the United States are able to do. Dr. Van Doorninck will talk about many facets of this problem, including what solutions are already in place to hopefully bring up the survival rate in these countries to 60 percent...

Erin Booth's son Landon was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when he was 5 1/2 years old in March of 2021. From that time until he was in remission beginning in 2023, Landon had gone through his treatment well enough, but then after his remission started , so did his side effects . As Landon is now nearing his 10th birthday, these myriad of side effects remain an issue for him and the hope is that they will become easier as Landon moves on and approaches his Survivorship Stage.

Laura DeKraker Lang- Ree knew nothing about Pediatric Cancer when her then 3 year old daughter Cecilia was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 1999. Since that time, Cecilia has recovered and gone on to lead a very successful and productive life, and Laura was able to learn so much about all facets of Pediatric Cancer that she was able to write a book called THE PARENTS CANCER HANDBOOK - What Your Oncologist Does Not Have Time To Tell You which she just published several weeks ago.   

Side Effects and After Effects from any Pediatric Cancer battle can be very difficult, especially when there are so many side effects that are concerning after being diagnosed with Pediatric Brain Cancer. That is certainly the case as we just heard from Stacie Eirich in talking about her daughter Sadie who has had more than a few difficult obstacles to overcome. The hope is that she will find the right people and programs to help Sadie through her toughest times. 

Audrey's Children is a movie that will be released in theatres this Friday, March 28th. It is the story of Dr. Audrey Evans, who is very likely the most significant Pediatric Cancer Oncologist of all time. Joe McDonough, who is the Founder of the Andrew McDonough B Positive Foundation , Michael Helfant who has been in the film business long enough to be involved in 150 films, and Julia Fisher Farbman, who is the Screenwriter and Producer of this film will talk about this remarkable woman who did so much for so many children before passing away at the age of 97...

AUDREY's CHILDREN is the story of Dr. Audrey Evans, who is quite possibly the most significant Pediatric Cancer Oncologist in history. Her story is about to be portrayed across the country as a film which is opening this Friday, March 28th in between 200-and 250 theatres across America. To show you how important this film is in introducing Dr. Evans to us, Michael Helfant, one of my interviewees and a long time member of the film industry said that of all the films he has been involved with, and they total more than 150, this was the best one. I will...

After a long period of time with severe stomach pain, Ryan and Courtney Cotton's daughter Julianna had to go through a test which completely missed an 11 cm tumor which was covering 70 percent of her belly before she finally received a proper diagnosis of Neuroblastoma in early 2022. Now 3 years later, Julianna has recovered from 2 relapses, currently has No Evidence of Disease , and is living the life of a normal 6 year old girl. 

Terrie Magro will talk about her son Mark who was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, just before turning 11 years old in mid March of  2004, and then on June 8th of that year, her 13 year old son Michael was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia with a rare T Cell variation . Mark is now nearing 32 years of age and is doing well both health and career wise but unfortunately, Michael passed away on July 30th of 2004, only 52 days after his diagnosis.  

Tay Scheibe was diagnosed with Large Cell Lymphoma when she was 10 years old and a 5th grade student on Tuesday, September 11th, 2001. Tay had 1 more cancer fight to go through and by the time she was 12, Tay was on her way to a full recovery  Tay spent much of the next years after her recovery trying to work on her own identity and in 2012, started a Toy Drive for the benefit of Pediatric Cancer patients which turned into her now Non-Profit With Love Charity in 2016. 

Taryn Jarboe was trying to console her 8 month old daughter June in June of 2021 as she had not been feeling well, and while examining her body, found a lump that was diagnosed as Neuroblastoma. June was supposed to go through an 18 month treatment program but while she was 10 months into her protocol, June developed a stomach bug and just before the radiation part of her treatment was supposed to begin, her doctors gave June scans which found that her Neuroblastoma had relapsed. Very unfortunately, there was only a 5 percent chance that June would survive this relapse and she passed...

Erica Campbell received her degree in Accounting from William and Mary and her MBA from Duke and then, years later, with advice from her mom decided to leave the business world to try and find her true passion, which turned out to be running a non-profit which concentrated on Pediatric Cancer. Since May of 2017, Erica has found this passion by being the Executive Director of the Pinky Swear Foundation which has worked with over 3000 families who are directly dealing with a Pediatric Cancer battle. 

The Bowel and Bladder issues that Emily Stenson's daughter Charlie was suffering from when she was 2 years old in early 2022 were constantly diagnosed as constipation, until she turned 3 and finally a 5 1/2 inch long Mass on her abdomen that had already spread to her liver was found. Charlie's correct diagnosis was a Stage 4 Mixed Germ Cell Tumor and after some very difficult treatment, she was declared to have No Evidence Of  Disease in January of 2024. Charlie relapsed in August of 2024 but was once again declared to have No Evidence of Disease in December of 2024, and is doing well enough so t...

It has been 6 1/2 years since Gwen Garro's son Guy was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma when he was in kindergarten in 2018. Guy has gone through many difficult surgeries and procedures since his diagnosis and has been able to lead quite an amazing life as he is now a 12 year old 6th grader. A very talented musician with a love for the theatre led him to being able to perform a song by Elton John entitled "I'm Still Standing" in front of 3000 people at Radio City Music Hall and Guy repeated that performance on January 30th of this year at the New...

After being diagnosed with the Pediatric Brain Cancer Chloroid Plexus Carcinoma in November of 2021, Hudson Gray's doctors had given him a 20 percent chance of surviving 5 years . Now, more than 3 years later, as Hudson is approaching his 5th birthday. his chances of surviving 5 years has gone up in dramatic fashion to 70 percent. Hudson's mom Adisyn will talk about everything that Hudson has gone through to get to this point, including a nearly 7 month stay at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

When Rene Michael's 6 year old daughter Alicia was complaining of a backache in  December of 2001, little did she know that her backache would lead to a diagnosis of a Peripheral Nueroectodermal Tumor which is a Bone Cancer closely related to Ewings Sarcoma. During her inpatient treatment, her mom Rene tells the story of Alicia deciding to find a way to donate money to the Pediatric Cancer patients and their families who were on her oncology floor. Thus, the Honeysuckle Foundation was born, inspirationally started by Alicia and officially started by Rene who has been the director of this foundation s...

After 4 year old Jace Serwalt was having trouble breathing early on Christmas morning in 2023, his parents Ashley and Kyle took him to his local hospital where he would be diagnosed with Croup, and then Pneumonia. Shortly after that diagnosis, as Jace was getting ready to go home, another doctor saw Jace, thought that he was looking very pale , and ordered a blood test. Not long after that, Jace was given his correct diagnosis which was B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Ashely will talk about the road that Jace has taken since then and how he is doing, a little...

Nancy and Richard Whipple's son Alexander spent 250 days as an inpatient at Tufts Floating Hospital for Children beginning in 2010 as a result of his Neuroblastoma diagnosis in March of 2010 when he was 8 months old.  Alexander battled for 13 months with his form of Pediatric Cancer and 2 of his stays lasted for 46 and 38 days respectively. Alexander passed away on April 1st of 2011, after a 16 hour surgery which did not work out as planned. 

Crystal Conroy's son Ashton was diagnosed with a very rare form of Pediatric Leukemia known as Acute MegaKaryblastic Leukemia or AMKL in March of 2024 when he was 10 1/2 months old. Ashton has been at Boston Children's Hospital for the past 65 days along with Crystal as the goal is to get him to remission so that he would be able to receive a Bone Marrow Transplant. That goal has not been reached and in fact, his doctors just confirmed that Ashton has had a relapse. 

What was thought to be a sprained ankle became a completely different situation for 10 year old Rachel Webster when she was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma. Rachel just turned 13 and is doing as well as possible after her battle and living as good of a life as she can. Her mom Marcy will talk about her daughter and the way that she has been able to overcome many obstacles as she now has No Evidence Of Disease.

After falling off a swing when he was 5 years old, Sheri May and her husband Pat noticed that their 5 year old son Braiden's stomach seemed to be expanding. Shortly after that, Braiden was diagnosed with High Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Braiden went through 3 1/2 years of treatment and is now 13 years old, and is living his best life possible. 

After taking a swimming lesson in late July of 2022 in very hot conditions, 4 year old Aaron Kline showed concerning symptoms which led his mother Shana to take him to see his pediatrician. A few days later, Aaron was diagnosed with the Pediatric Brain Cancer Medulloblastoma. 7 months later, Aaron completed his treatment at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and is currently feeling and doing well as a 6 year old first grade student. 

The name Sloane means WARRIOR in Irish and it is no wonder that this now 4 year old girl was given that name by her parents Allison and Eric Donnelly. Sloane was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma when she was 2 years old in October of 2022 after her belly seemed to be bulging, which caught the attention of her parents while they were giving her a bath. Sloane now has been in remission for 18 months and is doing as well as possible. 

Amy Gillen's 13 year old son Tanner's right hand stopped working while he was taking a quiz at school in February of 2018 and shortly thereafter he experienced Drop Foot. Then the right side of Tanner's body started to become paralyzed,  and he was taken to St. Louis Children's Hospital by ambulance where he was diagnosed with a stroke, which Amy knew was the incorrect diagnosis. Finally Tanner was given an MRI and the correct diagnosis of a Grade 4 Glioblastoma Brain Tumor was its result. Tanner passed away from this Brain Cancer at the age of 14 on January 23rd of 2019, exactly 6 y...

Beth Blakey and Katie Jenkins will talk with great passion about their Non - Profit  the Cancer Hope Network and its brand new initiative- Hopeful Hearts- Parents Supporting Parents on today's podcast. Both Beth and Katie emphasize that what they do is not just a job, but a Way Of Life.

Beth Blakey is the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of The Cancer Hope Network  and Katie Jenkins is the Director if its new initiative The Hopeful Hearts Network -Parents Supporting Parents, with both of these focusing on Peer Mentor- relationships, Both Beth and Katie see their work as not a job, but as a Way Of Life. 

After Jola Tapper's son Peter was diagnosed when he was 5 years old with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma in October of 2011, he went through a difficult treatment protocol which took him to having No Evidence of Disease on April 12th of 2012. For the next 7 1/2 years, even though he had difficulties, Peter was able to lead as normal and good of a life as possible. Then came December of 2019 and he relapsed by being diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma. Peter was able to survive for the next 25 months, until his ultimate passing on January 17th of 2022, just 25 days before his 16th birthday.

Tara and Jonathan Sharpe will talk about their decision not to seek treatment for their 5 year old daughter Lydia who was diagnosed with DIPG on August 7th of 2021. They decided that rather then put Lydia through radiation and possible clinical trials which they knew would not ultimately cure her,  they wanted to make Lydia as happy and comfortable as possible during her final days, as the only thing she wanted to do was to go home and play as long as possible with her 7 year old sister Madeline.

After hearing something pop in her left shoulder during a virtual school physical  education class during the pandemic, 12 year old Grace Messinger was diagnosed with  Osteosarcoma. Grace went through some very difficult treatment including 2 Thoracic Surgeries which removed a total of 55 nodules from her lung with many of them being cancerous,  a Limb Salvage surgery, and never had any type of break from this very difficult bone cancer. Despite having a great attitude and fighting hard, Grace passed away on September 27th of 2023, just after her 15th birthday.

Hopefully for the 1ST and LAST time, I spoke with a mom and dad who had what I am calling a misfortune on Steroids when Tanya and Luke Palmowski's son Tyler was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma when he was 8 years old in 2015, was able to ring the bell at Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, Albert 1 year later in 2016, and then just as Covid was hitting in March of 2020 was diagnosed with DIPG. Tyler passed away on November 24th of 2020 .

Beginning on February 10th and proceeding into February 13th, Texas Children's Hospital will be hosting the 2nd Childhood Cancer Prevention Symposium. Many critical topics in the Childhood Cancer Community will be discussed during this symposium beginning with the Keynote Speaker address from Dan Fagin, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of the book Tom's River,  a Story of Science and Salvation. His book discusses one of the biggest environmental  disasters in history on the coast of New Jersey.  This disaster caused many children to develop different forms of cancer. His address will begin the Symposium and the word PREVENTION will pla...

Just 2 weeks after she was born in July of 2023, Carol Sagnay's daughter Noa was undergoing chemotherapy treatment, as she was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, which was diagnosed after she was born with birthmarks all over her body. Carol will talk about the difficulties that Noa has gone through for the past 17 months, including being 5 minutes from passing away according to a nurse. Fortunately Carol herself picked out a drug which was given to Noa beginning in February of this year, that has helped Noa regain much of her health up to this point. 

Trista Temimi's daughter Valeria was born on September 11th of 2023 and immediately began having health issues. It took until January of 2024 to finally receive her diagnosis of Neuroblastoma. Since that time, Valeria has been battling this pediatric cancer and today, December 16th, she is undergoing scans to see how she is doing, with the hope being that she is at least stable and hopefully the news will be even better than that for this 15 month old little girl. 

Camp Rainbow Gold was started back in the 1980's, with the goal to welcome a small amount of Pediatric Cancer patients for a week of fun and being away from their cancer issues for a short time. Now, some 40 years later, this camp has grown substantially to over 400 attendees which include not only pediatric cancer patients , but their parents, siblings, and survivors to enjoy many activities during the late spring, summer, and fall months. Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Lizberg discusses this camp, which in reality is a 365 day a year concern for Elizabeth and her staff. 

Tommy Stackhouse was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia just two weeks before his 16th birthday in May of 2019. Tommy graduated from High School and during his senior year he was voted Homecoming King. After two Stem Cell Transplants and while Tommy was studying at a Community College, Tommy's health became a serious problem and he passed away from this most difficult form of Blood Cancer on May 26th of 2022. 

Brandon and Amanda Huffman's daughter Avery complained of double vision and then her right eye became introverted in June of 2015, and after 2 visits to a Pediatric Opthamologist, she was diagnosed with DIPG. Avery's battle with this form of Pediatric Brain Cancer lasted only 7 1/2 months before her passing on February 16th of 2016, and she was even denied the Honeymoon period that many DIPG sufferers get to experience. 

11 year old Noah Klein began having trouble with his motor skills as well as fatigue in January of 2022 and quickly was diagnosed with DIPG. Noah was able to feel well enough by May of that year to attend a Miami Heat playoff game and to meet Jimmy Butler who was their star player. His mom Elan talks about what Noah went through which included a honeymoon period that summer where Noah was able to travel with his family and was feeling good until the fall season when his condition began to deteriorate, and led to his passing on February 17...

Sil Lutkiwitte is the Chief Executive Officer and Randy Schrecengost is the Chief Scientific Officer for Targepeutics, and their company has created a protein known as GB-13 which is targeted to help in the fight against DIPG and DMG. This protein is designed to kill off bad brain cells while completely avoiding good brain cells and they are hoping to get the necessary financing to be able to bring this protein to Clinical Trial in the near future. 

Hollis Belger was told by her mom Allison when she was only 9 years old about the importance of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and what its Mission was in fighting pediatric cancer. To say that Hollis took her mom's message literally is the understatement of the year. Almost immediately Hollis started fundraising for St. Jude by using her incredible ability to juggle a soccer ball and now at, 20, she has raised $795,000 for St. Judes and has accomplished many other great things in trying to encourage young people to get involved in causes that empower themselves and empower others to...

Chrissy Zimmerman's 4 year old daughter Aria had no symptoms when she went to school in early September of 2022, but by the end of the day, she had 2 golf ball sized swollen nodules that were noticed by her teacher. That led to her diagnosis of T Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia , which was followed by her being diagnosed with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis and then by Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis which led to her passing in February of 2024.

Carley Rutledge went through much of 2010 in pain but not getting any correct answers about the cause of this pain for most of that year, until she received the shocking diagnosis of Ewings Sarcoma. Carley went through 2 years of difficult treatment and then was given an immunotherapy drug that worked and she experienced 8 years of being cancer free from this form of Pediatric Bone Cancer. Always active and with many accomplishments, Carley then felt back pain during her run in a Half Marathon which unfortunately indicated her Ewings Sarcoma had relapsed, and this led to her passing in November...

Even at the age of 7 Eric Buther's son Santiago was a graceful athlete but then he became clumsy and also was feeling tired and lethargic before he was diagnosed with DIPG in 2018. Santiago was able to go through an extended "Honeymoon" period after being treated at St Jude Children's Research Hospital but then he relapsed and after a stay at Cincinnati Children's Hospital he passed away on January 17th of 2020, while in 3rd grade. 

Not only do Becca Ingersoll's twin boys Lincoln and Logan have special needs, Lincoln was diagnosed with B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when he was 3 years old in January of 2020. Lincoln also has Cerebral Palsy, Hydrocephalus, and Autism. Becca will talk about the very difficult and tricky road that she and her husband Josh have been navigating for the past 7 years, and will also discuss  her work as an activist and advocate in the cause of Pediatric Cancer. 

Becky Handley overheard her 12 year old daughter talk about having double vision to her ballet teacher in September of 2020 after complaining of headaches in the preceding days. The next day which was September 20th, Ava was diagnosed with DIPG. Ava did experience a six month honeymoon period from January of 2021 through July of 2021 but eventually her condition deteriorated and she passed away from this terrible form of Pediatric Brian cancer on June 15th of 2022.

Mylaina Schippers beloved older brother Sal lived for over 6 years after his diagnosis of Leukemia in the early days of 2016 when Sal was 15 years old. Mylaina will talk about Sal's journey in which he had to go through 2 relapses but also had some good moments and accomplishments when he was feeling and doing well. Sal passed away from the Pediatric Blood cancer in April of 2022, one month after his 21st birthday.

On October 24th of 2011 Reilly Cardella's best friend Kassie passed away from Leukemia when they were both 13 years old.  Reilly will discuss the relationship that they had and the inspiration that Reilly developed to become a very strong voice in the cause of Pediatric Cancer. When Reilly was 20 years old she started her non-profit Love For Lady Bug which was named after Kassie, then became a Board Member and Vice President of the Glimmer of Hope Foundation , and in 2023 was voted Miss Apopka, which is a city of 55,000 located near Orlando Florida, and recognized her for all of the a...

Makenna Thomas had a back that was painful, a right arm that turned numb, and  fingers that she could not move, when she was diagnosed with Meningioma of the Spine in early 2018 at the age of 14. Makenna will talk about her battle both physically and even more so emotionally during that period and even beyond, and will also talk about her very successful recovery and life in which she is a senior at UCLA, is the President of the American Cancer Society on campus, oversees the Relay For Life Team at UCLA which is the leading fundraising college in t...