The counties of Knox, Laurel, and Whitley, in Southeastern Kentucky have seen 10 DIPG diagnoses since 2024, an extraordinarily high number of cases in such a condensed area. Shay McAlister is an Independent Journalist who has been investigating this issue and will discuss the problems that are related to this most deadly form of Pediatric Brain Cancer, which normally sees 1 or 2 cases in the entire state each year. Shay has written 2 major articles on this issue and will be continuing her goal to find some answers that are needed as to why this is happening.

After experiencing a number of illness when he was 2 years old going into the spring of 2025, Caitlyn and CJ Jennings thought that their beloved son Brooks was experiencing normal illnesses that many toddlers may experience. Unfortunately that was not the case. Brooks was diagnosed with a Fusion Mesenchymal Tumor that was located in his lung and then spread to his Pelvic Bone. Brooks continued to feel well until August of last year when his health went downhill, leading to his passing on October 25th of 2025.

Shaya Rees Frum was 14 years old when her then 11 year old sister Jessie was diagnosed with DIPG on March 3rd of 2011.  Jessie passed away from this terrible Pediatric Brain Cancer on January 5th of 2012, but not before laying the groundwork for the Jessie Rees Foundation that has been directed by her father Eric for the past 14 years. I spoke with Erik about Jessie and the Foundation back in April. Shaya has taken on a major role in the Foundation, it is her full time job, and hopefully she will be the person to take on its Leadership Role, when Erik and Shaya decide that the time is right .

Maribeth Ditmars has suffered plenty of heartache and loss for the past 25 years, beginning with the diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 1997 and the subsequent passing of her son Christopher at the age of 14 in 2001. This was followed by the passing of her younger son Jarrod when he was 21 years old from an accident on July 4th of 2015, which left him unconscious for the last 4 days of his life. In between those years, Maribeth successfully battled her own demons with her dependence on alcohol, to the point where she has been able to counsel many people who have had similar problems and she is now very involved in helping others. Maribeth has now been sober for 22 years . 

During Alisha Harper's pregnancy, she was told that there was a 60 percent chance that her son would be born with Down Syndrome. That statement turned out to be a correct one as Chase was born in December of 2016 with this illness and by the time Chase was 4 years old, Alisha saw that his Down Syndrome was manageable. One month after feeling as good as possible about how Chase was doing, he developed a body rash which turned out to be a symptom of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Despite having this 1-2 punch thrown at him, Chase is doing well as he is now 9 years old and living his best life possible. 

10 year old Charli Martin hurt her shoulder while competing in the New York State School Wrestling Tournament when she was in 5th grade in 2023. While going for Physical Therapy, Charli noticed a lump on her neck and after taking antibiotics and still in therapy, the pain in her shoulder did not go away. Charli then had this lump biopsied and the result was her diagnosis of High Risk B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Charli has now completed her 8th grade year and at 13 years of age is back playing sports and living the life of a normal and healthy 13 year old teenager.  

Gwen Mysiak worked in the field of Public Broadcasting for 19 years in Buffalo and during that time, her friend's cousin Andrew Pawlak was 13 years old and in 7th grade when he was diagnosed with a form of Pediatric Cancer and passed away 2 years later. Not too much time went by after that before Gwen switched carriers to become the Punt Pediatric Cancer Collaborative's Executive Director in 2012. This Collaborative focuses on 6 major programs to help families deal with a Pediatric Cancer situation, with a special emphasis on their bereavement program.

Sydney Belsher has been through a great deal in her still very young life as she is 12 1/2 years old, which started with stomach issues almost from her birth in the fall of 2013, and then her diagnosis of Infantile Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia which came when she was 6 months old in April of 2014. Right after her diagnosis Sydney's lifespan was very uncertain as her doctors feared she would have a stroke and may not survive. This did not happen thankfully but Sydney has battled both physical and mental issues over the years . Fortunately Sydney has survived all of her issues and is trying to live her best life possible.

When she was 4 months old on November 14th of 2023, Kalia Arrayan was diagnosed with High Risk B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. This diagnosis came as a complete shock to her parents Heather and Casey who did not see any clear symptoms before a routine checkup showed a lump on her spleen. Kalia went through a very difficult treatment process for the next 8 months before she underwent a Bone Marrow Transplant with her 11 year old brother being her donor. Kalia has been doing much better over the past nearly two years as she approaches her 3rd birthday.

Marissa Metcalf does not remember many details from her treatment during her battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia which took place in 2010 when she was 3 1/2 years old. What she does know, now that she is 19 years old and looking at possible careers, is that this form of Pediatric Blood cancer has affected her in different ways as she approaches 20 years of age, and wants to help others who have been diagnosed with cancer by becoming an Oncology Nurse, which would be a great accomplishment for her and a good thing for her future patients.