Help and Hope Happen Here

Christina Myers and Kevin Reardon's daughter Olivia has been through a myriad of serious health issues in her still very young life. Born 10 1/2 weeks prematurely, she had heart surgery when she was a month old, and then after a healthy period that lasted 3 years, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Aveolar Rhabdomayosarcoma.  Olivia just completed her 51st out of 66 Chemotherapy treatments, has r...

Dr. Caitlyn Barrett has her PHD in Cancer Biology from Vanderbilt University plus her post doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh.  She has taken her education to concentrate on helping many kids who have some form of Pediatric Cancer. On today's podcast, Dr. Barrett will talk about some of the highlights that she has experienced in her prominent roles at Curesearch For Kids Cancer, the...

After suffering a seizure while walking in New York City, Adrian Conoboy was diagnosed with Brain Cancer. While in the hospital receiving treatment,  he saw many kids who were being treated for Pediatric Cancer.  On today's podcast Adrian and his wife Roz will talk about that period of time which began in 2016 when Adrian was 35 years old and working as a Soccer Coach. Seeing these kids deepl...

After falling on her own several times and experiencing pain in her pinkie finger while playing the violin,  Prabal Chakrabarti and Venessa Ruget's  daughter Sajni was diagnosed with DIPG at the age of 7. Sajni tried to lead her best life possible for the next 19 months, as she spoke French fluently, rode horses, did karate, and wrote a letter to the White House about Climate Change. As Venes...

Karla and Brian Veal became Foster Parents to Greyson 4 days after he was born. 13 months later Greyson was diagnosed with B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and shortly after that, they decided to adopt him. On today's podcast Karla will talk about the journey that Greyson went through , starting with an almost year long remission but unfortunately ending in April of 2021 , as even Cart T C...

Jennifer Lorencovitz is the Senior Director of Programming and Brian Morello is the Co-Founder and Senior Project manager for the Non- Profit FAMILY REACH.  Jennifer and Brian will talk about their Non- Profit, which provides financial assistance and   counseling to families which are faced with a cancer diagnosis. Their Non- Profit has been existence for 26 years , has helped 60,000 families incl...

Dr. Mariella Filbin was raised just outside of Vienna Austria, where she completed her academic road to becoming  a Neurooncologist. Thankfully for the Pediatric Brain Cancer Community in Boston, she came directly from Vienna and began her work at Dana Farber and Boston Children's Hospital. Dr. Filbin is now one of the leading practitioners in her field and will talk about many issues and top...

Sonya Kulkarni is an incredible young woman and already has produced a list of accomplishments that would make anyone twice her age more than proud. A senior at Bellaire High School in Houston, Texas, Sonya will talk about her amazing life so far which has including publishing 2 books, working as a Cancer Research Assistant at MD Anderson Hospital, starting a Non Profit to help Texas High School s...

Dr. Lianna Marks- Interview

Lara and Kevin Weberling's son Hans was diagnosed with Stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma when he was 3 years old in 2006. On today's podcast Lara and Kevin will talk about the nearly 6 year battle that Hans fought against this form of Pediatric Cancer, before passing away in September of 2012 at the age of 9.  Lara and Kevin went to hospitals in both Texas and California as they did everyt...

Angela Lee was playing basketball on her school team as a 13 year old in 1984 when she first noticed swelling near her neck. After her basketball coach told her that the swelling was not normal Angela  went to get it checked out and was immediately put into the hospital with an eventual diagnosis of Stage 2 Hodgkins Lymphoma.  Her treatment included 50 radiation sessions and a conclusion from her...

On today's podcast Dr. Lianna Marks will talk about her role as a Pediatric Cancer oncologist who specializes in Lymphoma at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University. She will specifically discuss the case of 17 year old Mia Gatanaga, a high school honors student  who was admitted there in the fall of 2021 after being diagnosed with Primary Mediastinal Large B Cell L...

Austin Atteberry noticed when a beautiful woman named Sara moved right next door to him in Nashville, Tennessee in 2010. Austin found out that she worked as a Child Life Specialist at Vanderbilt Hospital and Sara found out that he was a Singer- Songwriter. Sara invited Austin to the hospital, told him to bring his guitar and she would introduce him to some of the kids who were patients. As we turn...

Jared Branfman was diagnosed with Spinal Cancer in 2003, when he was 21 years old and an Adolescent and Young Adult patient. After a two year battle, his disease spread to his brain and he unfortunately passed away in September of 2005.  On today's podcast, his father Steven will talk about the life that Jared led, which while all too short, was full of accomplishments as he brought joy to so...

Brian and Angie Perry's son Ethan was diagnosed with T Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma on July 30th of 2020, just after he turned 12 years old. At the very end of 2020 and into 2021 Ethan's cancer, which normally has a very good cure rate, began to spread rapidly and he very unfortunately passed away on March 25th of 2021.  Brian and Angie will talk about their beloved son, the Caring Band t...

Kathy Derr lost her son Christopher to an inoperable brain tumor in the early 1990's and in 1995 co-founded the Non-Profit A KID AGAIN. Along with Susan Gilbert whose family joined this non-profit in November of 2020 after Susan's daughter Ali was diagnosed with Leukemia in July of that year, they will talk about the wonderful work that this non profit does, as it has helped more than 20...

When Laura Bray's daughter Abby was undergoing treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia she needed a drug called Erwinaze, which was in short supply. Laura came to find out that  Pediatric Cancer drug shortages were happening far too many times. She got to work, solved Abby's problem in 10 days and then started her ANGELS FOR CHANGE Non Profit. This Non- Profit has been working over th...

Dr. Archie Bleyer is a well known and highly respected member of the Cancer Community.  On today's podcast Dr. Bleyer will talk about his 10 years as the Chair of the Children's Cancer Group in the 1990's and some of the accomplishments that he oversaw during this time period. Dr. Bleyer will then discuss his focus that began over 20 years ago on the issues that the "forgotten&...

After noticing a weakness on the left side of her face, Tiffany McConathy and her husband Jeremy took their 9 month old daughter Nora to her Pediatrician in September of 2021. Nora's 1st diagnosis was Bell's Palsy. Six weeks later as Nora was feeling worse, Nora went back to the doctor and this time they were going to put tubes in her ears. Tiffany then insisted on an MRI and finally the...

Oscar Ortiz's son Sebastian was diagnosed with Rhabdomayosarcoma as a sophomore in high school in October of 2015. On today's podcast, you will hear Oscar talk with much emotion and passion about his son, who fought his battle in every way possible before passing away in December of 2016.  Oscar will talk about the amazing way that Sebastian dealt with his cancer diagnosis with grace and...

In 2016 shortly before her 7th birthday Ava Girolimetti was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. After a relapse in early January of 2019, she became one of the first patients at Boston Children's Hospital to receive Cart T Cell Therapy. This therapy was thankfully successful and Ava has now been cancer free for 32 months. Ava's father Marc will talk about Ava's ordeal, and...

Gregory Jacobson is now 5 years past his relapse of the Pediatric Cancer Rhabdomayosarcoma, which he was originally diagnosed with as a senior in high school in 2015.  Both Gregory and his mother Susan will talk about what Gregory went through and the great news that he is in the process of completing his Bachelors Degree at Bridgewater State University.  They will also discuss the Bubba Strong Ch...

The Pediatric Brain Cancer Medullomayoblastoma is not the same cancer as the much more common Medulloblastoma. On today's podcast Michael Pruitt will talk about his son Rylan who was diagnosed with this cancer when he was 5 years old in the spring of 2021, and passed away from it at the age of 6, on March 10th of this year. Before Rylan's diagnosis, only 51 cases of this cancer had been...

Olivia Lipnicky passed away from a form of Pediatric Brain Cancer when she was 8 years old in November of 2019. On today's podcast Olivia's mother Emma will talk about what Olivia endured after she was diagnosed in early 2019, and the beautiful young girl that she was throughout her way too short time on earth. While going through treatment in the summer of 2019, Olivia decided to have a...

Michael Miller and his family are all too familiar with cancer. Michael's daughter Amy was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when she was 15 years old and suffered a stroke and paralysis during her treatment, and an epileptic seizure many years after treatment which caused a head on car crash. Fortunately, Amy is now doing well, is married and giving back to others in this Pediatric...