BOD Spotlight: Gary Andriate

CURE Childhood Cancer is honored to have a diverse and well-connected Board of Directors and we would like our community to get to know them. In this spotlight series we will highlight a board member and share why they are dedicated to CURE.

Gary Andriate is a member of CURE’s Board of Directors and he is also the CFO of Volume Transportation.

Below Gary shares why he decided to get involved with CURE:

“My son, Joe, is a childhood cancer survivor. I joined the CURE board so that I could repay some of the kindness my family received throughout his ordeal. I am proud to be part of such a dynamic group whose mission is to defeat this dreaded disease.”

Cup of Joy Women’s Ministry’s Remarkable Devotion to CURE

CURE Childhood Cancer is dedicating the month of November to highlight people, organizations and other things for which we are thankful.  So many contribute to the wonderful work of our organization, and we are thrilled and honored to share some of them with you.

One group which has been a blessing to CURE is Cup of Joy, a women’s ministry located in Roswell, Georgia.  Cup of Joy is generously hosting our holiday party for the second year in a row, doing all the work to provide fun and fellowship for the families we serve.  This year, the holiday party will be held at Cup of Joy Founder Dorothy Bowen’s home and promises a wonderful experience for all. The home is transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with Santa, dozens of themed Christmas trees, a life-size gingerbread house, and decorations throughout. Families will be greeted warmly by the many volunteers who help with the event.

In addition to the holiday party, Cup of Joy’s generous members have become dedicated volunteers, helping with “Good Grief” lunches, where CURE provides lunch and an opportunity for nurses and front line caregivers to gather and focus on processing their own grief.  Cup of Joy volunteers also help regularly with “Open Arms,” where CURE serves dinner to hospitalized children and their families.

We are so thankful for Cup of Joy and all of the wonderful women who participate. Their devotion to CURE and the families we serve is truly remarkable.

Joanna Lummus Honors a Friend on her 10th Birthday

CURE Childhood Cancer loves to hear stories of generous children who give all they have to help a friend, a family member, or even someone they don’t know who is going through the hardships of battling cancer.  We are so proud of these children that we want to share their stories with you.

Joanna Lummus may only be 10 years old, but she’s got a huge heart filled with love, and a desire to help others.

On October 3, Joanna turned 10 years old but many would say she is far wiser than just 10 years. Her family has been neighbors of the Street family for about 9 years, and their son Cam has been battling Ewing’s Sarcoma since July 2006.

Joanna really admires Cam’s bravery and “stick-to-it-ness,” so much so that she decided to turn her birthday this year into a special way to honor her friend and help fund a CURE for childhood cancer. Instead of receiving birthday presents, she asked her party guests to make a donation to CURE Childhood Cancer in Cam’s honor.

Joanna hosted about 15 girls at a roller skating costume party at the gym at Peachtree Presbyterian Church. The girls played games and skated to music in their costumes. Joanna decorated a shoebox with pictures of children and asked all her friends to place their donations inside. Joanna collected over $180.00 in honor of Cam Street to help find a CURE for childhood cancer!

CURE and the Street family are so very proud of Joanna and want to wish her a very happy birthday!

CURE Honors Eric Logan Swenor

EJ, or as he was affectionately known, Mr. Stinky, was a smart, happy and energetic baby. We had just returned from a cruise to the Bahamas and he had been suffering from a cold. I took him to the pediatrician who said that he was fine, just give him fluids. That Saturday, January 17, 2009 he woke up, still cheerful, but he could not move his left side. We took him to the ER where they did a CAT scan and sent us to Children’s Hospital of the Kings Daughters in Norfolk. They told us he had a stroke and within an hour that he had leukemia.

They told us a few days later that it was AML, subtype M4. They pushed him into the PICU and he was waving his arms and smiling. They sedated him and ventilated him to put a line in. He started chemotherapy immediately and they kept him sedated for comfort purposes for the first week. We didnt know it but he continued to have strokes on the right side of his brain despite blood thinners and everything they were doing to control the strokes. Within another week, he had an arterial bleed on the left side of his brain which they explained left his brain completely damaged. And after the first round of chemo, his cancer was worse than before.

There was nothing more they could do for him. We asked to bring him home and on February 13, 2009 we removed his life support and he died with his mommy and daddy holding him.

CURE Families Receive Special Invitation to North Atlanta Christmas Festival

The North Atlanta Christmas Festival is a dazzling musical celebration held at Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church, 9820 Nesbit Ferry Road, Johns Creek, GA. Now in its fourth year, the NACF is quickly becoming a “can’t miss” event and a yearly tradition for families and people of all ages. Involving over 400 people including the renown 150-voice Mount Pisgah Worship Choir, a magnificent 40 piece orchestra, an all new musical score, spectacular special effects, and a captivating appearance by the Georgia Tech Drum Corps, this year’s presentation promises to raise this year’s season of celebration to a new level!

For the second year in a row, dedicated volunteers and generous donors Pete and Melanie Delin extend an invitation to CURE families to attend the North Atlanta Christmas Festival as their special guests on December 12 at 7:00 pm.  For more information about the festival, visit www.nacfonline.com. If you would like to attend the December 12th performance, please contact Kristin Connor at kristin@curechildhoodcancer.org.

CURE Holiday Angels

For many families battling childhood cancer, the holidays are particularly difficult. The financial burdens of battling the disease often make it difficult for struggling families to celebrate the holidays with gifts and special meals. Already under enormous stress, the inability to fulfill the holiday wishes of their sick child and siblings further burdens our families.

CURE’s Holiday Angels is designed to help families with children battling cancer who are in need of hope and help during the holidays. Working with the social workers at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, we match donors wishing to sponsor a family with families in need. In doing so, CURE helps to bring joy and hope to these special families.

For more information or if you would like to sponsor a family, contact Meri Long at meri@curechildhoodcancer.org

 

Elves From Catie

For Jenny and Tré Wilkins, Christmas can be especially difficult. They lost their beautiful four-year-old daughter, Catie, nearly three years ago to cancer. If there is a glimmer of light in the midst of such loss, however, the Wilkins credit a mischievous elf for providing hope and honoring Catie’s legacy.

While Catie battled the ravages of cancer treatment during the holiday season, she took solace in the make-believe world of Santa’s elves. She was given a special stuffed elf from the company Host an Elf, and that beloved elf was “responsible” for all kinds of mischievous acts, such as covering the kitchen in flour, pulling clothes out of Catie’s dresser drawer, and even spending a night in the freezer because he was homesick for the North Pole.

“Catie’s elf provided a way for her to escape the reality of cancer and enjoy the magic of the holidays,” explains Jenny Wilkins. “We had so much fun with that elf. Every day, Catie woke up eager to find out what her ‘silly elf’ had done while she slept.”

But the whimsical fantasy of holiday elves was inexplicably replaced with the harshest of realities when Catie lost her courageous battle just weeks after Christmas.

Desperate to get through the first Christmas without Catie, her mom searched stores and the Internet for affordable elves to give to some of Catie’s friends who were still battling cancer. When she found the company which made Catie’s elf, she called, asking if they would consider giving her a bulk discount. After hearing Catie’s story, the owners of Host an Elf were so moved, the company decided to donate as many elves as the Wilkins needed – and then, they decided to take it a step further. The owners worked with Jenny to create a program called “Elves from Catie” which honors Catie by allowing others to purchase an elf for a child with cancer, with 30 percent of the proceeds going to CURE Childhood Cancer earmarked for pediatric cancer research.

“Far too many children will be spending the holidays in children’s hospitals receiving cancer treatment, and ‘Elves from Catie’ is a powerful way to share a special gift with them and make a significant contribution to fund a cure for childhood cancer,” says Kristin Connor, Executive Director of CURE Childhood Cancer.

For more information or to donate an elf to a child with cancer, visit www.elvesfromcatie.com.

 

Teens and Cancer

Being a teenager is hard enough, but add a diagnosis of cancer to the mix, and the challenges can be daunting. For teens, the psychological effects of a diagnosis can differ widely from the effects on young children, and teens need different forms of support. Anna, an 18 year old brain tumor survivor, explains, “There is so much pressure [in the teenage years] to conform and fit in, and for some of us cancer makes that almost impossible. We have such different experiences and have gone through things other teens can’t even imagine. Many times they become uncomfortable around us, not understanding our differences.” On top of that, Anna relates, “Uncertainty about the future is also an issue that all teenagers have to deal with. For cancer patients, it can be much more stressful to think about higher education or jobs, and how our experiences with cancer have altered our opportunities.”

Most teenagers desire independence and freedoms, yet a cancer diagnosis necessarily causes increased reliance on parents again. As teenagers want a voice in what happens with their care, conflicts may arise between teens and their parents. Effective treatment plans encourage straightforward communication and incorporate other means to help teens maintain a sense of control over their lives.

We asked teenage patients and survivors how friends, parents, siblings, teachers and others can help teens get through their treatment. “Knowing other teens that are going through similar trials helps a lot,” says Anna. “Through friendships such as those made at Camp Sunshine, we feel less isolated from the world and more like we are ‘normal.’”

Jenn, 16, found it difficult to catch up with her school work. She advises teens struggling with school to communicate with their teachers and “remember most teachers want to help.” Jenn reflects, “My teachers were very understanding and willing to work with me. Don’t be too proud to ask for help when you need it.”

Madison, 17, has additional advice. For teens battling cancer she says, “Do things you enjoy. For example, hospital arts and crafts might seem juvenile but things like that are great for giving your mind a break.” Friends should make special efforts, too, she says. “Treat us normal. Even if we’re too sick to go somewhere, just having an invitation makes us feel like we’re still part of the group.” Madison also says that texting and emails are great ways to stay connected with friends when going through treatment. She advises friends to visit often, whether at home or in the hospital and says, “You don’t have to come armed with gifts – a visit is enough.”

 

Pace Academy Students Raise Money for CURE

Mary Hunter Cunningham and Kaitlyn Dinkins attend Pace Academy in Atlanta and both know girls battling cancer. Kaitlyn knows Amanda Riley through AAU basketball and Mary Hunter knows Abby Smith through Northside United Methodist Church. Amanda and Abby were both September CURE Kids and their friends wanted to raise money in their honor. Neither Amanda nor Abby attend Pace Academy, but the girls felt the Pace community, along with family and friends, would support their efforts to raise money for CURE Childhood Cancer.

After talking to the Pace Athletic Director and their class dean, the girls came up with a truly fun fundraiser that both parents and students could participate in. Parents were asked to make a pledge for each point Pace athletes scored during one specific week in September. Fall sporting events include football, volleyball, cross-country and softball.  Letters were sent to all Pace parents, family members as well as friends.  Pledges were mailed back to the girls; and Mary Hunter and Kaitlyn tracked the points scored.   Their efforts raised over $1700 for CURE!

CURE would like to thank Mary Hunter and Kaitlyn for being such great friends and wonderful ambassadors for CURE!

CURE’s Costa Rican Trip Auction

In conjunction with the CURE Golf Classic and the GMTA Fleet Expo, a fantastic raffle was held with the main prize of a fishing trip to Costa Rica. This raffle was a big success and $7,500 was raised for CURE Childhood Cancer. The raffle was drawn early November at the GMTA Fleet Expo and the winner was Mike Medici, President of Premier Transportation. Mike so generously donated the trip back to CURE to raise more money for childhood cancer research. And to sweeten the deal, Mike has included 4 roundtrip airline tickets!

This fantastic trip is being auctioned off to the highest bidder. The Costa Rica vacation includes airfare and accommodations for 4 at the beautiful Las Ventanas del Mar for 5 days and 4 nights and a full day of fishing* at the resort with world famous fisherman, Gary Carter on his million dollar boat, the Silver-Rod-O. This package is valued at $6,500. Click here to check out the Ventanas del Mar Resort.

All proceeds from this auction will benefit CURE Childhood Cancer. Hurry and place your bid now on this Costa Rican vacation! Please contact Joe Coleman at joe.c@volinc.com and place your bid. All bids must be in by Monday, November 23rd so hurry before you miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity!

Check back here for updates on the most current highest bid!

*To take advantage of the fishing opportunity, the trip must be taken between January 29, 2010 and February 8, 2010 or between February 19, 2010 and March 7, 2010. (This is the prime season for billfishing)

CURRENT HIGHEST BID:

$4,000 (as of 11/23 2:30 pm)

$3,500 (as of 11/17 12 pm)

$3,300 (as of 11/17 11:00 am)

$3,000 (starting bid)