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. Last week, Gay passed the baton to a new generation of golfers, who completed safe, socially distant, all-day golf-a-thons to create Joy for seriously ill kids, teens, and their families… Read more »
Meet Kira, a bright and musical 15-year-old who has recently completed three years of treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Through long hospital stays, chemo, and a scary side-effect of treatment that left Kira temporarily unable to communicate, Kira and her family found comfort in moments of laughter, hope, and Joy. Here’s a heartfelt letter from Kira’s mom, Sara, about Kira’s cancer journey—and how CCA’s Joy-centric programs provided critical emotional and social support for the entire family, and… Read more »
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: “He used to really like Power Rangers, so I said, ‘You’re going to be a Power Ranger… Read more »
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. After numerous visits to the doctor,… Read more »
Dear CCA Friends, 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. I… Read more »
In December 2019, just before the holidays, Wesley was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a type of blood cancer. Since then, Wesley has endured chemo, spinal taps, and skin and blood biopsies. He had a bone marrow transplant on his 15th birthday. But he has faced every challenge with strength, courage—and a few good-natured pranks to lighten the mood. For Wesley, those Joyful moments gave him the strength… Read more »
To Peter Tran, a 19-year-old cancer survivor, JoyRx Mentorship program graduate, and artist from Portland, OR, mentorship means connection. A social butterfly, Peter has a wide circle of family and friends, and easily bonded with the nurses and staff at Randall Children’s Hospital who helped him during treatment. Despite his large support system, he still experienced feelings of isolation during hospitalization—until he met his… Read more »
