Game Over: c*ncer

What drives a pediatric cancer researcher to spend their career searching for better treatments for children? In this special Game Over: c*ncer episode, Cannonball Kids’ cancer Foundation looks back at some of the most powerful conversations with pediatric cancer researchers and physician-scientists from the podcast’s first 50 episodes. These researchers share the personal experiences that led the...

What happens after childhood cancer changes everything? In this special episode of Game Over : c*ncer, hosts Val Solomon and Dana Nichols of Cannonball Kids’ cancer Foundation revisit some of the most powerful childhood cancer survivor and family stories shared throughout the podcast. This retrospective brings together unforgettable conversations about pediatric cancer diagnosis, childhood cancer...

A mother’s intuition helped save her son’s life. When four-year-old Enzo developed persistent congestion, his mom, Krista Keller, knew something was wrong. But after visiting five doctors over two months, Enzo was repeatedly diagnosed with allergies and sinus infections. Krista even asked whether cancer could be causing his symptoms and was reassured that it wasn’t. Then, after Enzo became increas...

What happens when your child is told there is no standard treatment available? In this powerful episode of the Game Over: c*ncer Podcast, Sarah Asma, Executive Director of the Big Nova Foundation, shares the deeply personal story that transformed her family's life forever after her two-year-old niece was diagnosed with a rare form of pediatric leukemia. Forced to travel across the country because...

When most people hear palliative care, they think it means the end. But what if we've misunderstood it all along? In this episode of Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sit down with Dr. Justin Baker, pediatric oncologist and Division Chief, Quality of Life and Pediatric Palliative Care at Stanford University School of Medicine, to discuss how quality of life considerations shoul...

Could one small action change someone's life? Cancer survivor, bestselling author, and entrepreneur Emily McDowell joins  Game Over: c*ncer  to share how one simple greeting card idea grew into a movement that transformed the greeting card industry, and why empathy and imperfect action matter more than perfection. After surviving cancer at just 24 years old, Emily discovered how uncomfortable our...

The LINK Conference is officially happening. In this special episode of Game Over: c*ncer, Dana Nichols and Val Solomon announce the launch of the LINK Conference (Legacy • Impact • Networking • Knowledge), an innovative nonprofit conference built specifically for the pediatric cancer community. Created for pediatric cancer nonprofits, childhood cancer advocates, survivors, parents, legacy familie...

What does the future of pediatric cancer treatment actually look like? In this episode of Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sit down with Dr. Gregory Friedman pediatric oncologist, CKc-funded researcher, and chair of the Scientific Advisory Board at  Cannonball Kids’ cancer Foundation (CKc), to talk about one of the most exciting areas in childhood cancer research: oncolytic vi...

Quiet Tenacity: A Family's Journey Through Pediatric Cancer What happens 10 years after a child hears the words, "You have cancer"? In this powerful episode of Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon welcome Nick and Rachel Mangan, parents of pediatric brain cancer survivor Lantz Mangan, to share their family's incredible journey through diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and hope....

In this episode of Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon welcome Dr. Susan Weiner, founder of Children's Cancer Cause, pediatric cancer advocate, and national leader in childhood cancer policy. For more than 25 years, Dr. Weiner has worked alongside families, researchers, legislators, and advocacy organizations to improve childhood cancer treatment, survivorship care, pediatric dru...

Why is pediatric brain cancer research so underfunded, and what does it actually take to build breakthroughs for children fighting cancer? In this episode of Game Over: c*ncer, Val Solomon and Dana Nichols sit down with Dr. John Prensner, pediatric neuro-oncologist, researcher, and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School. As the recipient of the 2025 Young In...

What is it really like to start a nonprofit internship and step into purpose-driven work for the first time? In this episode of Game Over: c*ncer, Cannonball Kids’ cancer Foundation interns Emma Wade (Marketing, UCF) and Olivia Smith (English Literature & Legal Studies, UCF) share their real experiences working behind the scenes in pediatric cancer advocacy, nonprofit marketing, and storytelli...

What does it really take to develop new treatments for pediatric cancer? In this episode of Game Over: c*ncer, we sit down with Dr. Elliot Stieglitz, a leading pediatric hematologist-oncologist and researcher at UCSF, to break down the reality behind pediatric cancer research, clinical trials, and breakthrough treatments for rare diseases like juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML). JMML is a rar...

What does it really take to run a nonprofit and fund life-saving pediatric cancer research? In this episode of Game Over: c*ncer, we explore the unseen labor behind nonprofit organizations and the behind-the-scenes roles that make fundraising, donor relationships, and events possible. Val Solomon and Dana Nichols from Cannonball Kids’ cancer Foundation sit down with Development Assistant Amy Rober...

In this powerful episode of Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana and Val sit down with Dr. Kira Bona, pediatric oncologist at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Hospital and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, to explore a critical but often overlooked issue in pediatric cancer care: access and health equity. Dr. Bona shares groundbreaking research revealing that one in three children diagnosed wit...

In this powerful episode of Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana Nichols and Val Solomon sit down with pediatric cancer survivor Tayler Ellison to hear a story of extraordinary resilience. Tayler was first diagnosed with glioblastoma (GBM) at just four years old, later faced osteosarcoma at 13, and then battled a second osteosarcoma during her first year of college. Now 21 years old and currently in remi...

What happens when you stop asking “Why me?” and start asking “Why not?” In this inspiring episode of Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Val Solomon and Dana Nichols sit down with Hannah Hunt, founder of Socks N' Such, preschool teacher, mom of two, and now a passionate pediatric cancer advocate. What started as a simple Disney Marathon Weekend bib turned into something much bigger. Hannah shares how fundrai...

What is it like to hear your child tell their cancer story… when you remember every detail they don’t? In this powerful Part 2 conversation, the Game Over: c*ncer Podcast sits down with Julie Feuerstein, mom of pediatric cancer survivor Mara, to explore the family side of a childhood leukemia diagnosis. While Mara shared her story in our previous episode, today we hear from the mother who lived ev...

Cancer doesn’t just affect the patient. It impacts the entire family. Welcome back to Game Over: c*ncer, as we kick off 2026 with Part One of a powerful two-part conversation exploring how pediatric cancer shapes family life, resilience, and hope. In this episode, hosts Val Solomon and Dana Nichols of Cannonball Kids’ cancer Foundation sit down with Mara Feuerstein, a remarkable young cancer survi...

Game Over: c*ncer really lives up to its name in this one. In this special episode, we celebrate 10 years of impact with the very first researcher Cannonball Kids’ cancer Foundation (CKc) ever funded, Dr. Ted Johnson. Dr. Johnson is a professor of pediatric oncology and co-director of the Pediatric Immunotherapy Program at Augusta University, a destination program for children with brain cancer wh...

In today’s episode of Game Over: c*ncer, we explore one of the greatest superpowers in pediatric cancer research: collaboration. From co-funding grants to global scientific networks, teamwork is driving lifesaving breakthroughs, especially for the rarest and hardest-to-treat childhood cancers. Hosted by Val Solomon (Director of Program Impact) and Dana Nichols (Executive Director of CKc), this epi...

In this timely episode, hosts Val and Dana break down what’s shifting in pediatric cancer research funding, and why it matters for kids right now. As a follow-up to an earlier episode about federal funding in 2026, we unpack details on the appalling federal funding cuts planned for pediatric cancer research. In this episode we see: What a projected 37% cut to NCI’s budget could mean for pediatric...

Game Over Cancer is back with a high-energy, heart-forward episode for runners, running-curious friends, and anyone who loves the magic of Run Disney. Dana and Val sit down with Meghan and Stephanie from CKC’s Run Disney Committee to talk training, community, and why running for a cause hits different. From first 5Ks to finishing marathons, they unpack the moments that made them feel like “real ru...

In this powerful episode of the Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Dana and Val sit down with Maria Ochoa, president and co-founder of Mia’s Miracles Foundation. Maria, along with her husband, professional golfer Camilo Villegas, created Mia's Miracles in honor of their daughter Mia, who passed away from brain and spine cancer at just 22 months old. Maria opens up about surrender, grief, PTSD, and the unsee...

In this episode of the Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Val Solomon and Dana Nichols, sit down with Tammi Carr, co-founder of the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation. Tammi shares the story of her son Chad, her family’s fight against DIPG, and how powerful collaboration across families, foundations, and researchers is accelerating progress. You will hear: How Chad’s legacy inspired a movement that now fuels...