Help and Hope Happen Here

10 Episodes
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By: Mark Levine

This Podcast is going to be about Pediatric Cancer and the need to keep the awareness of this terrible disease in the public eye. My plan is to be able to interview a wide spectrum of people who all have a passion and a stake in finding a way to make the lives of these Pediatric Cancer Patients easier. I will interview oncologists, nurses, recovered patients, parents who have had to oversee their children's cancer fight, heads of Pediatric Cancer Foundations and Organizations , and others who would like to use this forum to advocate for these children.

Abby Wagle met Ella Bresee when she was 12 years old in 2019. They quickly became best friends and then in 2021, Ella was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma. Abby will talk about losing Ella to this disease in 2022 and how she has honored her friend since.
#345
03/21/2024

Abby Wagle and Ella Bresee met in 2019 when they played competitive basketball against each other. They quickly became best friends and then in 2021, Ella was diagnosed with the Pediatric Brain Cancer Medulloblastoma. Abby is now a sophomore in high school and will talk about the close friendship that she and Ella had, and how difficult it was when Ella passed away in September of 2022. Abby will talk about the many ways that she has honored her friend since then and will continue to honor her in the years to come. 


Kelly Stevens will talk about her son Charlie and his fight against Acute Myeloid Leukemia, which led to his very unfortunate passing on January 27th of 2021, just 2 days after his 3rd birthday.
#344
03/18/2024

After little Charlie Stevens was taken to his doctor after he developed a lesion in his right eye, it became apparent that he had too many white blood cells, but an X Ray and ultrasound showed him to be healthy in the early days of 2020. Just six weeks later Charlie was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. A very aggressive treatment protocol led to his remission that year but just before Christmas Charlie relapsed and he passed away on January 27th, of 2021, just 2 days after his 3rd birthday. Charlie's mother Kelly will talk about her beloved son, and how she...


Brian Burkhardt will talk about his son Oliver who was diagnosed during Covid with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, and the Non-Profit called the Oliver Patch Project that he started by accident and is in all 50 states.
#343
03/14/2024

Brian Burkhardt and his family left their home in Miami and went to the Florida Keys during Spring break in early in 2020 where they had to isolate because of Covid. Two days after they returned home his son Oliver was having trouble breathing which sounded like a Covid issue,  but turned out to be the Pediatric Blood Cancer Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Brian will talk about this diagnosis, Oliver's successful treatment , and the more than creative Non-Profit called the Oliver Patch Project. which Brian and his wife Trish started in Oliver's honor. 


Emily Gordon and her daughter Vara James will talk about Vara's battle with Wilms Tumor which is a kidney cancer, her recovery, and the Rock Cancer program that they helped start .
#342
03/10/2024

When Vara James was 9 years old in 2016 she was diagnosed with the Kidney Cancer Wilms Tumor. Now 17 years old, Vara has been cancer free since February of 2018 and has many options to look at as she is able to live as normal of a life as possible. Vara and her mother Emily Gordon will talk about these past 8 years which include helping to start the Rock Cancer program along with Neuro Oncologist Dr. Carl Koschmann,  which gives Pediatric Cancer patients the opportunity to gain confidence and a sense of accomplishment by learning to Rock Climb. 


Kim Denice will talk about being a Pediatric Cancer survivor of Hodgkins Lymphoma which was diagnosed when she was a high school senior in 2013, and her current work at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
#341
03/07/2024

It took 5 years after waking up each day feeling tired and sick, but Kim Denice was finally diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma as a senior in high school in 2013. Kim will talk about the struggles that she had while she was in treatment and even to this day, as she has been cancer free for over 10 years. Kim will also talk about her involvement in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the fact that she is able to live her life in the best manner possible. 


Christen Gray will talk about her son Finn who was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma when he was 5 years old in 2018 and passed away on January 21st of 2020. Christen will also discuss her Finn's Fighter's Non- Profit
#340
03/04/2024

Christen Gray's 5 year old son Finn complained of back pain in the day's before he was to go to kindergarten in 2018. As Christen drove Finn to school for his first day, his back was hurting so much that he had trouble sitting in his car seat. Just a few days later Finn was diagnosed with the Pediatric Bone Cancer Ewings Sarcoma. Christen will talk about Finn's all too short life which ended on January 21st of 2020, and the non- profit Finn's Fighters which her family started in 2019 and its mission, which is to raise awareness for the cause of...


Bryan and Shauna Smith will talk about their son Oliver who passed away from Ewings Sarcoma one day after his 12th birthday in 2019, and the Ollie Bots Project that was started in his honor.
#339
02/28/2024

When 10 year old Oliver Smith was trying out for his under 11 hockey team in the fall of 2016 his father noticed that Oliver was not as agile, fast, and flexible as he normally was. He also complained of pain in his groin area. Other symptoms arrived and in early 2017, Oliver was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma which was already at Stage 4. Oliver fought his battle for nearly 2 and half years before passing away on June 27th of 2019, just 1 day after his 12th birthday. Oliver's parents Bryan and Shauna will talk about their beloved son and the Ollie Bots Project that they...


Shauna Falvey will talk about her 6 year old daughter Mia who was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma in the summer of 2022 and has been dealing with one obstacle after another during her 20 month treatment protocol.
#338
02/26/2024

It took a confirmation from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to finally confirm that 6 year old Mia Falvey had Medulloblastoma after waiting for an official diagnosis for more than 30 days. Since the summer of 2022 Mia has been under treatment for this most common form of Pediatric Brain cancer and is waiting for an upcoming MRI which will tell the doctors what her next treatment protocol will look like. 


Eliy Simmer was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma on May 12th of 2021 and will talk about her journey which began when she was a 14 year old High School freshman. Eliy is now a High School Senior and her future looks to be unlimited.
#337
02/22/2024

Bothered by pain in her shoulder blade since the fall of 2020 while she was a member of her high school volleyball team, 14 year old Eliy Simmer saw many doctors but did not get diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma until May 12th of 2021. Eliy spent the rest of that year undergoing treatment for this form of pediatric cancer and in January of 2022 her treatment protocol successfully ended. Now a high school senior, Eliy is looking forward to the next steps in her life in which she has a variety of choices to look at. Along with these choices, Eliy will continue...


Donna DeSousa Schmidt will talk about her daughter Maggie who was diagnosed with Malignant Rhabdoid Tumors when she was 16 years old in 2016 and passed away on June 1st of 2017, just 6 weeks after her 17th birthday.
#336
02/19/2024

Maggie Schmidt was a 16 year old seemingly healthy teenager when she competed in a Tough Mudder race in the summer of 2016. 18 days after that, Maggie started experiencing symptoms that would lead to a diagnosis of Malignant Rhabdoid Tumors in October of that year.  As she tried to overcome whatever setbacks came her way, Maggie had one bad break after another and passed away from this form of Pediatric Cancer on June 1st of 2017, just 6 weeks after her 17th birthday. Her mom Donna will talk about her beloved daughter and will also discuss Maggies Mission, a Non-Profit that  her family st...