JoyRx Music began serving Austin hospitals in 2018 and, to date, has transformed through joy the treatment experience for nearly 1,500 kids in seven Texas pediatric hospitals. After years of progress and partnership with local hospitals and the business community, JoyRx Music is amplifying service outreach and impact in the Lonestar state.

Children’s Cancer Association began as one family’s beautiful dream — to bring hope, healing, and joy to children and families facing the unimaginable trauma of serious illness, through specially designed programs, aptly named JoyRx . Thanks to the support of so many, that dream has become a reality: one that has prevailed through 27 years and a global pandemic, delivering JoyRx to more than 10,000 children every year, in 28 hospitals across the country and counting.

How do you explain to a three-year-old that they have cancer?

That was the unthinkable question Landon’s parents Rebecca and Jeremy were faced with a year ago when they learned that their little boy had leukemia. Normally a spunky, active toddler, Landon had suddenly become tired, pale, and lethargic. So his parents took him to the doctor for tests, which revealed the diagnosis.

On Monday, April 25, 45 golfers put their skills to the test as they embarked on an ambitious challenge to play as many holes as they could in support of Children’s Cancer Association and its JoyRx programs.

Early in the COVID-19 crisis, pediatric hospitalsfaced staffing shortages and programming cuts due to the global pandemic andwere struggling to find engaging and meaningful activities for young patients. CCA staff knew that JoyRx Music was uniquely positioned to meet that critical need, and, together with families and hospital partners, we created a new branch of music medicine programming. We now call this Digital-Live, which complements our On-Demand music offerings, available to kids and families 24/7 at JoyRxMusic.org.

David is an active, bright 13-year-old with a passion for science. Even from a very young age, he always wanted to know the answers to everything. And so when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in February of 2021, the first thing he did was ask the doctor a question: “What are the chances that I’m going to die from this?”

Macky is a bubbly 12-year-old who loves animals (especially monkeys!) and studying math. In late 2017, his mom, Sarah, noticed that her normally stocky son was losing weight — a lot of weight.

“Mom, it feels like there’s a chainsaw running through my leg.”

When 12-year-old Izzy spoke those words in the fall of 2020, her mom Erika realized that her daughter’s recent discomfort was far more then growing pains. A scan at the doctor’s office revealed a fracture running through the middle of the left side of Izzy’s pelvis, but it also revealed something worse: a fuzzy mass that turned out Ewing’s sarcoma, a type of cancer that forms in the bones and soft tissues of the body.

On Tuesday, August 24, 2021, Gay Davis—co-founder of Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club near Portland, Oregon and generous CCA friend—thanked the crowd of golf pros, amateurs, and their families for joining him at the eleventh annual Golf for Joy pro-am tournament, his favorite day of the year.

Gathering five Oregonian sports stars, 24 teams of pro and amateur golfers, and their loved ones together at the beautiful Oregon Golf Club for the thirteenth annual CCA Invitational certainly made for a competitive pro-am tournament. But more importantly, it created a powerful force for Joy, raising more than $370,000 in support of CCA’s JoyRx Music program and enabling thousands of sick kids and their families to find Joy and emotional healing while facing the profound hardship of serious pediatric illness.

When Bertha first found out her son, Emet, had leukemia, she was speechless. She didn’t know how to break the news to Emet, who was only 10 years old at the time, without scaring him. But then, she found the perfect words.

A decade ago, Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club co-founder and dedicated Children’s Cancer Association (CCA) supporter, Gay Davis, challenged himself to play 100 holes to raise funds for CCA’s Joy-based programs.

Madelynn is a sweet, friendly five-year-old who loves arts and crafts, Legos, and playing outside. But in summer 2019, Madelynn’s parents, Bridgette and Alex, noticed a worrying change. Madelynn no longer had the energy to do her favorite activities, and her parents had to carry her everywhere—she wouldn’t even walk into a store with her mom to pick out a toy. 

Imagine being nine years old and having more medical diagnoses than you can count. Spending months of your life in a hospital bed, instead of playing outside. My son, Xay, has been in and out of the hospital since the day he was born. He has epilepsy, chronic lung disease, spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy, ADHD, an autoimmune disorder…but despite everything, Xay always finds a reason to smile. 

In December 2019, just before the holidays, Wesley was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a type of blood cancer.  

To Peter Tran, a 19-year-old cancer survivor, JoyRx Mentorship program graduate, and artist from Portland, OR, mentorship means connection.  

Meet Kira, a bright and musical 15-year-old who has recently completed three years of treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).  

Tucked among other islands of Micronesia, Kosrae is a remote speck in the middle of the Pacific. Eight-year-old David Kihleng and his family called this tiny island paradise home — at least, they did until they learned that David had T-cell leukemia in 2018.

When Regina Ellis founded Children’s Cancer Association in 1995, she had no way of knowing the Joyful difference she’d create for thousands of young patients and their families—not only in her home state of Oregon, but in pediatric hospitals across the country. As we celebrate our silver anniversary and 25 years of Joy delivery, we do so with a bold vision for our future—and now, with a new leader at our helm.

When Janalyn’s son, Spencer, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma just before his 13th birthday, she saw firsthand how powerful and healing Joy can be. During his first prolonged hospital stay, Spencer shut down. He refused every comfort, interaction, and activity offered—until CCA’s trained MyMusicRx^® musicians, Cameron and Jean, walked through the door.