Help and Hope Happen Here

Michelle Zenie's son Cole, now 26 years old , married, and a High School Biology Teacher was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in May of 2001. Michelle was also a teacher but decided after Cole's recovery to get involved as an activist and advocate in the cause of Pediatric Cancer. This led to her becoming the Executive Director of the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of Lehigh Valley in 2014, a position that Michelle has held for the past 10 years. This foundation focuses on whatever it can do to help individual families get through their pediatric cancer struggles  during treatment , after treatment, and if there is an unfortunate bereavement situation

Madison Cotton went to her Primary Care Physician because of troubling cysts in her breast in 2017 and the fact that her mother had already been through breast cancer. Madison was basically dismissed by her doctor and eventually in 2022 was diagnosed with Breast cancer. Since that time she has struggled both physically and emotionally with a variety of difficult issues that she has gone through as an AYA cancer patient, and has only begun to feel better and have a more meaningful existence during this summer season. 

After noticeably limping during a soccer game in 2019, Maggie Spada's daughter Lucy was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma at the age of 9. After going through a very difficult treatment protocol, Lucy is now 5 years removed from this diagnosis and is doing very well. Maggie will talk about Lucy and will also talk about her Little Warriors Foundation, which she and her husband Piero started when they learned about how little money the Federal Government was contributing to Pediatric Cancer, and also learning about the treatments that Lucy and other Ewings Sarcoma patients have to go through, which has not changed in over 40 years.

When 10 year old Aaron Gaberman was diagnosed with a form of Pediatric Brain Cancer in May of 2005, his older brother Jon was right by his side from that day until this present day, doing whatever he could then and can now to be by his brothers side as a devoted sibling. The brothers will talk about the difficult experiences that they have had through the years , and the bond that they have established which is an unbreakable one. 

When Lauren Bujnicki's 2 year old daughter Madison had some symptoms that needed to be checked out, the thought was that she might have a Urinary Tract Infection. Everything seemed okay except for a urinalysis that was off, but just a few days later Madison developed a low grade fever, was irritable, and vomited. 
Madison's diagnosis turned out to be the Kidney Cancer Stage 4 Wilms Tumor. This diagnosis was given in February of 2022 and for the next 8 months, Madison went through an arduous treatment protocol. By October of 2022, Madison did not have any Evidence of Disease and , now 2 years later as a 4 year old, Madison is doing as well as possible. 

Teri Gaberman's son Aaron was diagnosed with a rare form of Pediatric Brain Cancer when he was 10 years old in 2005. The next year Aaron contacted former New York Yankee great Bobby Murcer who had been diagnosed with a Glioma type of Brain Cancer at the end of 2006 and that started an incredible friendship which lasted until Bobby passed away on July 8th of 2008. Teri will talk about her son's amazing life and her Berni and Mercer non- profit which has helped and is helping so many in the Pediatric Cancer community.

When Jessica Robertson's 7 year old son Kai developed severe leg pain on February 10th of 2024, Jessica and her husband thought that it might be a case of growing pains, as he had been totally healthy up until that point. Unfortunately after testing at Cook's Children's Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, the shocking diagnosis 2 days later that was given to Kai and his family  was B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. It has now been nearly 7 months since this diagnosis and Kai is doing well in his maintenance treatment program. 

Sadie Eirich's left eye seemed out of position in the early fall of 2022 and eventually led to her diagnosis in October of that year of the Pediatric Brain Cancer Medulloblastoma, which was located in the pineal region of her brain. Sadie was 14 years old at the time and her treatment initially took her to a children's hospital in Jefferson Louisiana where she had 5 surgeries, followed by 9 months of treatment at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital from December of 2022 through September of 2023. Sadie was found to have No Evidence of Disease in September of 2023 and that situation continues to be the case nearly a year later. 

After being diagnosed with Pre B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in September of 2005, Alisha Wagoner was able to completely recover from her battle with this form of Pediatric Blood Cancer and now, nearly 19 years later, she has put together quite a resume. This resume includes an outstanding college softball career, prestigious awards from both her athletic and humanitarian accomplishments, and the hope that her professional career will take her to becoming a personal trainer and owning her own gym. 

Kelley Bernard was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when she was 14 years old and has now been cancer free for the past 16 years. Because of the treatment that she received from the nurses at Boston Children's Hospital , Kelley decided that she wanted to become a Pediatric Oncology Nurse which became her career path after graduating from St.Anselm's College with a Nursing Degree. Kelley has also participated 3 times in both the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk and the Pan Mass Challenge and is currently training for her upcoming boxing match hosted by the Non-Profit Haymakers For Hope.