Mentorship blogs

Tresa is one of our new JoyRx Mentors this year as part of the JoyRx Mentorship program, where mentors help seriously ill kids elevate their mood through laughter and play. This trusted companionship and kindship is a cornerstone of the program — and that sense of community is an important value for Tresa as an individual.

We are thrilled to announce that JoyRx Mentorship has supported over 100 matches as we reach the end of our 2023-2024 fiscal year. Launched in 1999, JoyRx Mentorship is a crucial program for JoyRx, fostering companionship and friendship for children experiencing treatment and hospitalizations.

It started with knee pain: Eight-year-old Hadley complained about her knee hurting and her mom, Launa, took her to the pediatrician. At first, it seemed it was only a possible injury from PE or recess.

But Launa could never have guessed the real reason behind her daughter’s pain.

“Olivia is certainly one of the most easygoing humans I have ever known,” Olivia’s mom, Kimmie, said.

It’s an apt way to describe Olivia: she’s a bright and optimistic girl who’s always ready to smile and cheer others on. She loves soccer, dancing, holidays, and her family. She’s always ready to greet others with a big hug.

At JoyRx, we believe that Joy is an unlimited resource and undeniable right. And when it comes to friendships, we’ve seen the power of a connection and how it can lead to Joy. That’s why we champion our JoyRx Mentorship program, which fosters and creates friendships for vulnerable children who need Joy most.

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month and we at JoyRx, the mission delivery of Children’s Cancer Association, are so grateful for our volunteers. We wouldn’t be able to do our healing without the dedication and kindness of our amazing volunteers.

Veda is a charming young talent who is truly wise beyond her years. Both compassionate and polite, she’ll greet you with a handshake, a warm smile, and ask how you’re doing today.

CCA’s Chemo Pal Mentor Program provides kids with a caring, trusted, adult friend to look forward to seeing during treatments, and someone in their corner when they need it most. Chemo Pal mentors play games, listen to music, share hobbies, or simply offer the comfort of companionship, relieving the anxiety, loneliness, and isolation experienced by children in treatment.

Seventeen-year-old Jacob Daskalakis has a contagious smile and a zest for life that is apparent the moment you meet him. He loves riding his dirt bike, running, cheering on the Portland Trail Blazers, and making others laugh.

The holiday season is over, but we aren’t done celebrating quite yet!

If you want to strike up a conversation with Xavier Jackson, just ask him about trains. This friendly nine-year-old will be happy to tell you everything you ever wanted to know, from the different types of engines to the history of locomotion. (It should come as no surprise that he wants to be a conductor someday.)

Ask his friends and family to describe Jesse, and one word always comes up: generous. This thoughtful 18-year-old loves to put others before himself, even though he’s the one who’s fighting leukemia.

Make way for Jasmine “Jazzy” Soria-Pons! She may be just three years old, but this sassy little girl is already running the show. “One night at the hospital, she got all the other kids out of bed and led them down the hall in an impromptu parade,” laughed her mom Monique. “She’s just a natural born leader, I guess.”

Henry is a good-natured three-year-old with a serious thing for superheroes and garbage trucks. He faces every day with boundless energy and joy—in fact, the first thing he says when he wakes up is, “Yay! It’s morning time!”

Holly is a sweet, quiet third-grader who loves the color purple, practicing the piano, singing, riding her bike, and playing board games with her parents and four siblings.

At 13, Aaron was already a Renaissance man. He played the alto sax. He sang in the choir. He’d even trained in ballroom dancing. And in the midst of it all, he battled leukemia.

Asher is a super friendly kid with a smile that’s guaranteed to melt your heart. He loves to dance, play with his siblings (all nine of them!), and sing the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” song with anyone who cares to join in.

A tennis ball sized lump on the head of two-year-old, Graham, led to a diagnosis of Choroid Plexus Carcinoma.

Mason, diagnosed at just three years old, is an adorable boy with a lot of energy. At times, it was difficult for his mom, Diane, to focus on talking to the doctors while taking care of her seriously ill son. 

Caitlyn’s mom, Shawna, talks with 105.1 The BUZZ about her daughter and 2013 CCA Hero, Caitlyn.

Sophia’s mother talked with 105.1 The Buzz’s Daria sharing the profound impact a Chemo Pal Mentor had on their lives in the midst of months in the hospital, even as Sophia was put on life support.

FOX 12’s Amy Troy meets the parents of a little ball of energy named Christopher.

Mitch from 105.1 The Buzz finds out from Tim and his mom, Susan, what it’s like to get a leukemia diagnosis as a teen. Their lives changed in an instant, but Tim was set up with a specially matched Chemo Pal to help him through it all.

Tigard third grader Holly Bruno loves practicing songs on the piano, singing, and playing board games with her parents and siblings. She was a typical 8-year-old girl until August of last year, when pain on the side of her face led to a diagnosis of a type of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma.

Rebecca and Xavier talk about what life looks like as a kid diagnosed with lupus.

Keaton Traffie has earned the nickname “Courageous Keaton” by maintaining his spunky, playful attitude no matter how tough things get.

Elijah Mott’s smile is a true definition of what joy looks like. It lights up his entire face and appears whenever he talks about this big brother Isaiah, his Chemo Pal mentor, Jack, or his favorite team on the planet, the Portland Trailblazers.

Little Caoimhe (pronounced KWEE-va), has a personality that sparkles just as brightly as her big blue eyes. Her family had recently moved to Portland from Dublin, Ireland, when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).