2018 Advocacy Day
Lisa, our Executive Director, participated with over 80 advocates from around the state for Childhood Cancer Awareness Day at the 2018 General Assembly. She advocated with Dr. Rohan, CHoR's amazing new child psychologist and parents she met when Connor was in treatment. Our best advocates were children and parents like Savanna pictured here with her mom and Delegate Betsy B. Carr. Everyone talked about the needs of patients and survivors and explained how important it is for Virginia to help fund pediatric cancer research. Kudos to the Virginia Childhood Cancer Work Group and ASK for leading the charge! You can do your part and call your state representatives.
Today’s Helping Hero: April
You never know what surprises pop up on Facebook. We received a message from April letting us know that she had a Facebook fundraiser. For her birthday she asked her friends to donate to Connor's Heroes instead of gifts. Her goal was $500 and she surpassed it. Way to go April!! She wrote on her page: "As the saying goes, It takes a village to raise children.This year, pediatric cancer entered my life in many ways. When a parent gets news that their child has cancer, THIS VILLAGE is there to help! Every local person I know dealing with cancer has also been touched by this foundation in the most positive ways."
Facebook makes it easy for you to hold a personal fund raiser. If you are passionate about helping the brave children who are battling cancer in Central Va., then turn your birthday into a giving day. You will make a difference to many families.
Today’s Helping Hero: Brittany
Whitney was a teenager who went through treatment with Connor. She was a bright light. Our hearts ached when she passed. Her best friend Brittany volunteered with us at the very beginning of Connor's Heroes. She hasn't stopped! Brittany decorated BMT rooms and held backpack drives. In college, she started a backpack program for us in Roanoke. Now a teacher, she organized her elementary school to make and donate nearly 100 fleece blankets over the past couple years. Brittany's giving heart is transformative. When we started as a nonprofit, donations from the Deep Run Marathon Dance got us off the ground. We are grateful to Brittany, Kathleen and the DRMD community for believing in the power of helping local nonprofits in the area.
Rylee’s ipad
Rylee is only two years old. A little more than 18 months after she was born, she was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma - a rare cancerous tumor that starts in the liver. Connor's Heroes was there for the family when Rylee started treatment. They received a Heroes Bag and Backpack. Inside was Rylee's very own ipad. We added ipads to our backpacks in 2017, thanks to the generosity of individuals who care. Since that time, 51 children received an ipad from Connor's Heroes. Mom posted the picture and wrote "Rylee watching her favorite show on her tablet from you guys! Thanks again so much!"
Snow Day
Yes, the snow is beautiful, but it does pose challenges for our families who travel for their child's treatment. One of our teenagers lives in the Tidewater region but receives treatment in Richmond. The family stayed at The Doorways, which provides lodging for patients and their families who live out of town but need to be in the area for treatment. When the last snowfall hit, the family needed Connor's Heroes help. Mom, who was stuck 100 miles away, texted Erin a list of groceries. Erin braved the crowds at the grocery store, used donated gift cards, and purchased what they needed. Within 24 hours of mom's text, the family had the groceries. This is what Connor's Heroes does every day. You allow Erin to develop a relationship with our families. She gets to know them. Then, she finds the programs and volunteers who can help without overwhelming the family at a difficult time.
Today’s Helping Hero: Dr. Matt Schefft
We love supporting the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Division at VCU. They were well-represented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) this past December. Dr. Corey chaired a session on Congenital and Acquired Neutropenia. Dr. Usua Oyarbide presented a poster abstract relating to her research with zebrafish. Dr. Matt Schefft spoke on the topic of reducing hospital admission rates through individualized pain plans. It was quite an honor for Dr. Schefft to be selected as a speaker at this meeting, which had over 25,000 hematology specialists from all over the world in attendance. Here in Richmond Dr. Schefft serves as assistant professor with a focus on Quality Improvement for our pediatric oncology patients. Specifically, he is working on reducing the risk of infection in children with cancer, improving recognition and treatment of infection when it does occur, and determining which children are at low risk of infection and can safely go home. In his spare time, Dr. Schefft enjoys cycling, basketball, visiting breweries, and running around with his boys.
RVA Cures is our website dedicated to the progress of pediatric cancer research in Richmond. Our area finally has a research lab dedicated to childhood cancer thanks to donations to the Connor's Heroes Pediatric Cancer Research Fund.
Hero Art Sessions: December 2017
Our hero families had a great time at our December Art Session hosted by Connor's Heroes at the Visual Arts Center. Parents appreciate the fact that Connor's Heroes understands the challenges in planning events for children with life-threatening diseases. We take precautions for children whose immunize systems are fragile. We make sure the space is handicap accessible. We understand if a parent cancels because her child was taken to the emergency room. We understand because we, too, are childhood cancer parents. Thank you to our volunteers who work with kids and give the families this special time together.
Hero Family Fun: Ice Skating Party
Thank you to Venus Bolton and Mackenzie Corrigan for leading our new Parents Auxiliary Committee (PAC). Over the holiday, they held a Parent's Night Out and Ice Skating Party at the Rink at West Broad Village, which donated free skating passes. Eight hero families enjoyed the night together. Hero Moms and Dads snuck out to shop around the Short Pump area. Volunteers skated with the kids and made crafts. They shared a special moment of eating donuts in memory of sweet Thomas. It's an annual tradition for Thomas's grandmother, aunt and uncle to donate special treats that Thomas would have loved to share with his hero friends. The PAC is planning more outings in 2018. Your gifts support the personalized outreach that Connor's Heroes brings to our special families.
2017 Holiday Lights
When one mom got off the bus after the tacky lights tour, she gave Lisa a big hug. Earlier that week, she received some disappointing news about her daughter's treatment. They definitely needed some holiday cheer. They found it on Connor's Heroes annual Tacky Holiday Lights tour. We had 12 families joining us on the bus. They sang holiday carols and enjoyed a catered dinner. It was magical to see the children (and adults) press their faces to the windows to get a closer look at all the beautifully decorated houses. For a few hours, you let them forget about doctors, clinics, and chemo. Thank you for giving our families a special holiday memory.
We want to thank the Richmond Christmas Mother and Winn Transportation for helping make this event possible. Captain Dan has driven the tour bus every year and always refuses to accept a tip. He even took a detour and treated us to Country Style Donuts! Another example of how easy it is to be a hero to a child battling cancer.
Hero Tree for the Holidays
Twelve hero families will receive gifts at Christmastime thanks to the generosity of Richmond's caring community. It's a Hero Tree - with each child's family having Christmas despite being in the hospital or financial stress from medical bills and the unexpected expenses of a life-threatening disease. It's not just gifts for the kids. Parents receive presents, too. Thank you to The Strum Group, Village Concepts Realty Group, Joyner Fine Properties, McGuireWoods Consulting Accounting Department and an anonymous volunteer.