Help and Hope Happen Here

Lauren Bendesky was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma when she was 14 years old in 2012.  This diagnosis is rare for a teenager as this form of Pediatric Brain Cancer is usually found in children much younger. Lauren will talk about her successful battle against Neuroblastoma and becoming an Honor Child for the St. Baldrick's Foundation when she was 16, followed by her becoming an Ambassad...

Maya Collins  was diagnosed with Acute Myleoid Leukemia in 2011 and passed away in October of 2017 at the age of 14. Her mother Bonnie will talk about the life of giving that her beloved daughter chose  during the 6 year period that she was battling this difficult form of Leukemia.   Bonnie will also discuss the Live Like Maya Foundation and the Third Eye Brewing Company that were started after Ma...

Elaine Kay 's son James was diagnosed with Peripheral Neuroectodermal Tumor Ewing's Sarcoma in February 2005. This cancer is so rare that only 26 people before James had ever had a diagnosis of this form of cancer.  Elaine will talk about her son's recovery and will also discuss her role as the Director of the non profit Rally Nashville Foundation and the success that it has had in...

Joe Bullock was diagnosed with stage 3 Colon Cancer at the age of 50 in 2018. Joe is now fully healthy and has dedicated his life to helping children, adolescents, teenagers, and their families deal with a cancer that is normally found in much older people. Joe will discuss his non profit Colontown Jr. which is  set up to help those who are suffering from the crushing reality of Pediatric Colon Ca...

Meredith Gaffney's younger sister Madeline was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia in 2009. Meredith will talk about her role as an older sister and sibling during  Madeline's illness, including how she herself had to fight off some very normal and real emotions including some resentment at times, and being on the "backburner" of the family dynamic on occasion. What has...

The role of a sibling can be a very difficult one during their brother or sister's pediatric cancer battles. Olivia Tomoff, whose brother Ryan had been diagnosed with cancer 5 times beginning in 1996 when he was 2 years old, will talk about her very important position as Ryan's sister and sibling, as she was involved in a most positive way in many aspects of Ryan's recovery. Olivia...

Mary Ann Massolio saw her son pass away at the age of 9 from Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, only 6 months after being diagnosed with a cancer that normally has a very high cure rate.  As a Pediatric Oncology Social Worker in Tampa Florida, Mary Ann had been involved in non profits for many years and then became the Director of the 1 Voice Foundation. After thinking about an idea that she had, in 2011 Mary...

Dr. Shani Fox  had a well established business career before she decided to leave the corporate world and go to medical school.  Eventually she became a Cancer Survivorship Expert and a Life Mastery Coach. Dr. Shani ( as she likes to be called) will discuss issues such as overcoming the number one problem for cancer survivors which is FEAR. She will also talk about relationships, guilt, siblings a...

Kelly Goddard's 10 month old daughter Riley was diagnosed with Glioblastoma a brain cancer that is so rare for infants , that only 10 to 20 cases are found each year in people so young. After hearing that Riley's prognosis was for a 1-2 year lifespan,  Kelly did as much research as possible and found a neurooncologist from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital who thought that Riley...

Beginning when she was 12 years old, Ali Hornung has taken the role of being an advocate for Pediatric Cancer patients to a new level. She has raised over $200,000 for these kids , started a small business called Miracle Masks in which she created 2500 facemasks with the proceeds going to different pediatric cancer organizations, and started and is the CEO of the Glimmer Of Hope Foundation , in ho...

Within the last 4 years Sarah Milberg has taken on the roles of being a Co Chair for the Alliance for Childhood Cancer and as the Director of Government Relations for the St. Baldrick's Foundation. Sarah will discuss these roles and will also talk about her former position as an aide to Missouri Congressman Russ Carnahan, who served in Washington from 2005-2012.  Sarah also gives us great inf...

Liam Witt lost his battle against Neuroblastoma in 2011 after a 4 year fight against this form of Pediatric Cancer. His mother Gretchen will talk about Liam's life and the non profit Cookies For Kids Cancer which she and her husband Larry started in 2008 in response to the medicine protocols that Liam and other children had to endure during their cancer treatments. This non profit has had ove...

At the age of 2 in 1996, Ryan Tomoff was diagnosed with the first of his 3 battles with Leukemia. Ryan relapsed in 2000 and in 2004, before a bone marrow transplant finally set him on his way to beating this form of Pediatric Cancer. 12 years later in 2016 this time at the age of 22, Ryan had 2 bouts with tongue cancer. Since his last diagnosis Ryan has thankfully been free of any form of cancer....

Rachel McCallum was diagnosed with the brain cancer Anaplastic Astrocytoma when she was 5 years old in 1993. Now, 28 years later, Rachel will talk about the many difficulties that she has had in trying to lead the best life possible as a long term pediatric cancer survivor. She will discuss both her physical and emotional journey which has taken a big toll on her including physical ailments such a...

Tamara Miles lives in Sydney Australia with her husband and 4 sons. Her son Bryson is now 8 years old and 5 years past his diagnosis of Medulloblastoma, and her son Ryder who is 3 1/2  has endured 18 brain surgeries, none of which had anything to do with Pediatric Cancer. Tamara will talk about what has been a very difficult journey for Bryson and Ryder, plus the emotional strain that has affected...

Sadie Keller was diagnosed with Leukemia when she was 7 years old in February of 2015. Two month later she produced her first video while she was undergoing treatment, because she wanted to make sure that others would not be afraid of this disease.  Her videos gained national prominence as they were shown by ESPN during their annual tribute to former North Carolina State coach and cancer victim Ji...

Ricardo Garcia's son Richi was diagnosed with high risk Medulloblastoma when he was 6 years old in 2011 and living in Spain. The Garcia family moved to Brookline, Ma. after the diagnosis and now 10 years later, after going through treatment at Boston Children's Hospital and Dana Farber, Richi is doing well and leading a good life.  Ricardo will talk about Richi's cancer battle, the...

Tatum Fettig will talk about her daughter Teagan and her battle with Medulloblastoma, which she was diagnosed with just after her 2nd birthday in December of 2016. Now 4  1/2 years later Teagen is doing well and is about to enter 1st grade . Tatum will also discuss the first non profit nationwide APP that she designed, which allows parents of pediatric cancer patients to communicate with one anoth...

Heather Serafin was diagnosed with the deadly Pediatric Brain Cancer DIPG when she was 15 years old in October of 2013. Her mother Beth will talk about her daughter who was able to live as full of a life as possible for the next 2 years, before her passing in October of 2015. She left a legacy of inspiration for others that will continue on for many years to come. Heather was the "Head Cheerl...

Debbie Wagers has spent 28 of the last 30 years as a Child Life Specialist in Nebraska but her impact has been made across the United States and in other parts of the world. Her ONE VOICE program which she started in 1996 , is now being used in 150 hospitals across the United States and is in 4 hospitals around the globe. Debbie also collaborated with Roger Holzberg who was on my podcast a few wee...

Arianna Raso was entering her senior year in high school in 2019 when she was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma.  Nicole Raso was just 3 years old when she was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2000.  These first cousins will discuss their individual battles with Pediatric Cancer and what it has meant to them to be able to communicate with each other about what they have been through.  They both are i...

Kayla Funk was in Nairobi Kenya on a 3 month trip when she became ill and eventually had to return to her home in Birmingham, Alabama. Kayla was then diagnosed with Neuroblastoma which is a very rare Pediatric Cancer diagnosis for someone who was 18 years old at the time. Kayla went through the standard treatment protocol which included chemotherapy and radiation. This treatment lasted 15 months a...

In her role as the Director of the Supportive Care Clinic at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorder Center in Atlanta, Dr. Katharine Brock wears many hats. Dr. Brock will talk about this critical role for pediatric cancer patients and their families that she serves in trying to make certain that each day for these children and adolescents is better than the day before. Dr. Brock will also talk about...

Carson Leslie was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma at the age of 14 in 2006 and passed away from this Pediatric Brain Cancer in January of 2010. Carson wrote a book entitled CARRY ME which was published just 6 days before his passing, in the hope that his words would comfort other Pediatric Cancer patients who would inevitably suffer from some form of cancer. His mother Annette will talk about Carso...

Roger Holzberg has spent his entire working life introducing creative ideas and projects. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the Documentary film category in research/writing for a film called The Living Sea which was narrated by Meryl Streep.  He then spent many years as the Creative Director for Walt Disney Imagineering before his own cancer diagnosis at age 50. Roger then decided to take...