Hearing loss is a very well known side effect and long term effect that survivors of Pediatric Cancer must be aware of, especially if they are being treated with Cisplatin during Chemotherapy, which is a very effective medicine in helping to save lives of these children and adolescents . Holly Reames and Eric Meyer, who work at Fennec Pharmaceuticals will talk about the ramifications of this hearing loss, which if it happens, is always permanent. 

For the past 3 years Mariah Forster Olson and Mary Beth Collins have been working on a Toolkit to help Pediatric Cancer survivors and their families try and navigate through the period when they have gone past the 5 year mark since their cancer diagnosis, but have many issues to conquer both physically and mentally because of what they went through during their cancer experiences. This toolkit is now available and has already helped many patients and their families who have entered the Survivorship phase. 

Mariah and Mary Beth are both members of the very important and successful Non-Profit known as the Coalition Against Childhood Cancer or CAC2.

Tabitha Odom thought that her 2 year old daughter Sailor might have the flu when she brought her to a Walk In Clinic in November of 2022 as she had not been feeling well. Later that night Tabitha became worried when she received a phone call at 9:00 PM and said that Sailor needed  to go to a hospital emergency room. After that she was sent to  UTMB Hospital in Galveston Texas where Tabitha was told that Sailor had B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Tabitha will talk about Sailor's successful treatment protocol in which she is expected to complete her maintenance program in January of 2025. 

In April of 2023 Vickie Stevens and Don McCarthy's little son Rio was experiencing a loss of appetite, limping instead of walking, and losing energy. After a stay at a local hospital did not solve the question of what was wrong with Rio, he was transferred to a large hospital in London and was finally diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. Rio is now into his 8th month of treatment  and the hope is that he will at some point be able to travel to Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York to take a drug that has proven to be highly successful in treating Rio's form of Neuroblastoma . Vickie and Don will also talk about the organization Solving Kids Cancer which has proven to be very helpful for their family and many others in England.  www.solvingkidscancer.org.uk/children/rio+1

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. 

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 has become an activist in her native home of Adelaide Australia to help other AML and Pediatric Cancer patients and their families. 

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. 

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. 

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'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 Pediatric Cancer and to help Tampa Bay area families who are going through their own cancer issues with their children.