Childhood Cancer Talk Radio Podcasts

Dr. Burzynski’s cancer research and patient care has been inspired by the philosophy of the physician Hippocrates: ‘First, do no harm’. The Burzynski Clinic (Houston, TX) approach to treatment is ‘personalized’ in an attempt to maximize effectiveness and minimize side effects for each cancer patient.  However the success of his specialized treatments with many patients has evoked controversy from the conventional treatment world as viable low-toxicity therapies have consistently done over the last century.  In this interview we have the opportunity to hear from the doctor himself, to give a down-to earth account of the philosophy behind his treatment practice and the actual circumstances surrounding much of the success controversy.  In previous podcasts we interview survivors of a certain deadly brain cancer, DIPG, which continues to baffle scientists where certain individuals do actually survive--and many of these were patients of Dr. Burzynski.

On July 6, 2008, the lives of Dena and Billy Sherwood changed forever when their then 13-month-old son, Billy Jr., was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a very aggressive cancer of the sympathetic nervous system that most commonly occurs in infants and children under the age of five. In August of 2009, in the midst of their son’s aggressive treatment, Dena and Billy founded Arms Wide Open Childhood Cancer Foundation.

Through the foundation's Emmy-Award winning documentaries and awareness campaign, The Truth 365, the foundation continues to educate the general public about childhood cancer with a powerful global reach, including the continuing legacy of CUREFEST. In this podcast hour we learn about the personal story and passion of the foundation's leader, Dena Sherwood, who shares with us her experience of the childhood cancer drama as it began to unfold at a time when she herself was working as an oncology social worker with 2 young children.

1Voice Foundation, based in Brandon, Florida has been innovating and implementing helpful programs for children with cancer for over 2 decades. We have the unique opportunity to hear from Founder and CEO Mary Ann Massolio, who shares with us her dedication, from her own tragic loss, to serving the childhood cancer community and research community with multiple innovative programs to support the many aspects of the lives of children with cancer and their families. 

Recent innovations and firsts include the opening of the 1Voice Academy, a school for children with cancer, partnership in the development of a vaccine for leukemia, and a special bereavement group for this year's CureFest celebration, an event for which 1Voice has been a consistent premier sponsor.

Kristena Kitchen joins us from Maryland and Bryanna's Love Foundation to share her upcoming book launch for "Cotton Candy Clouds" on Thursday, September 9th at 7pm ET Live on Facebook.

Kristena's daughter Bryanna tragically lost her life in 2018 to ETP-ALL, a rare type of childhood leukemia for which there are not yet targeted treatments. Bryanna's Love Foundation provides programs to support kids fighting cancer and their siblings, as well as supporting urgently needed ETP-ALL research. The book is an inspired creation to support young children faced with any difficult challenge, and can be found on amazon and in select Barnes and Noble bookstores.

Twenty-three year old Tori Moreno is fortunate not to remember too much of her early diagnosis with DIPG, but she remembers enough. Treated at the controversial Burzynski Clinic in Houston, TX, Tori did well on the treatments as an infant, and she is now a long-term survivor of the deadliest pediatric brain cancer.

Tori generously discusses with us what survivorship is like today, and what it was like at various other times in her life when she was hopeful for support. Born in Southern California, she now lives in Virginia with her beautiful young son and her partner. She gives a fascinating window into the DIPG world as a young person having survived an infant diagnosis which has so very few survivors.

Without adequate national awareness of the urgent, unmet needs of children with cancer, the failure of the medical research system to adequately address childhood cancer will continue as progress remains a high-grade uphill battle. Randy Hinton is a childhood cancer advocate from South Carolina, and father to Haley who he lost in the 2000s to DIPG, a deadly and prevalent brain tumor in children. Despite advances in advocacy to change and instate policies which help bring needed attention and funding to childhood cancer research and treatment, little has changed for most children with cancer, especially those with brain cancer--the most prevalent and deadly cancer subtype in children.

On January 4, 2021, 6 year-old Jacob Senediak of Pittsburgh, PA died due to complications from his fight with DIPG, a deadly childhood brain cancer which spares mercilessly few of its victims.  His father, Mark Senediak, joins us on Childhood Cancer Talk Radio to begin a discussion about efforts his family and others connected with "Jacob's Fight," the fledgling foundation developing through this mission, are undertaking to build a one-of-a-kind monument to honor all children present, past, and sadly, future who have fought pediatric cancer and lost their battles. 

"These brave hero's, like my Jacob, fought bravely and were, are, and will always be the forgers of the roadmap to a cure which will one day exist.  While some pediatric cancers have become more treatable through the bravery of those in the past, others like DIPG have not."

Jessica Elder, LMSW, LCSW-NY has been the Bereavement Program Manager at Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation for 11 years. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA she acquired a Master of Science degree in social work from Columbia University in 2004, and spent 5 years working as a pediatric oncology social worker in an NYC Hospital. She then earned a post graduate training certificate in child and adolescent psychotherapy from IPTAR in NYC. In 2009 she began her role as Director of Patient and Family Support for CBTF in 2009, focusing on bereavement when she moved to Arizona in 2011. While working in AZ, Jessica also managed a child development program focused on prevention and education for three years. When Jessica had her first child I’m 2014, she continued to work part-time for CBTF. Jessica is also the author of a children’s book which was published in 2020. She currently lives in Scottsdale, AZ with her husband, 4 children and rescue dog while working part-time for CBTF, still running the bereavement chats for the childhood brain cancer community on facebook, and now a group for DIPG parents in conjunction with the Marc Jr. Foundation.

Retired SFPD Police Captain Rick Schiff joins us to share his experience in the mid 1990s with his daughter Chrissy who was diagnosed with a rare and deadly form of brain cancer. Since losing her to the effects of her original lethal-dose conventional treatments, he has tirelessly advocated for patients seeking treatment at the Burzynksi clinic in Houston, TX.

The fundamental question is, why do the terminally diagnosed not all have access to promising, non-toxic treatments? Why are these therapies cost-prohibitive and only found by personal investigation? These questions are answered, and new ones posed in today's podcast.

Today we hear from two strong, resilient, beautiful women who have beat the odds for a childhood brain cancer that normally proves to be inescapable and merciless. Jessica Ressel-Doeden from St. Louis Missouri here in the USA, and Celeste Sabagh in Cordoba Argentina have not only DIPG in common as long-term survivors, but a success with treatment from Dr. Burzynski in Houston, TX. Their paths to healing, wellness, and harmonious community have been extremely challenging. Each explain in their own way the dichotomy of reticence when it comes to sharing their stories and why, and then being overcome by the burning desire to help others. Where conventional medicine falls short, the desperate search "Outside the Box" is the only logical place to look for hope.