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May 31, 2017. June: Charlize Nunez Rivera, 6th grader at Eugenio Maria de Hostos Charter School, Philadelphia, PA

Charlize is a pre-teen who loves animals, especially dogs. She can look at a picture and tell you the breed. She loves watching videos on youtube and like most girls, she loves to shop. Her favorite stores are Old Navy and Target. Charlize is lucky enough to have three brothers and one baby sister who she adores.

In March of 2016, Charlize was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma. She has cancer in her leg and arm but you would never know it! She is a brave girl with a positive attitude. St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children diagnosed and treats her cancer. Charlize dresses to impress when she goes to clinic. Cancer will not get in the way of her fashion. Her family means everything to her and they are going to help her celebrate her 12th birthday this month!

Information provided by her mother, Angelica Rivera.

May 17, 2017. Panthers Play A Round and Then Some

We absolutely could not have asked for better weather to kick off the 2nd Annual Michael’s Way Charlotte Golf Tournament. Last Monday, May 8th, we gathered at the pristine Charlotte Country Club to play a round of golf, eat dinner, raise money for the kids and — oh yeah, meet some Carolina Panthers!

Thanks in large part to safety Kurt Coleman, we had 7 players participate in the daylong fundraiser, including hanging out after golf to meet some very excited children. Families from Levine Children’s Hospital came to the Club for dinner, yard games, and to get photos and autographs with their favorite football players. The Panthers could not have been more kind and attentive, spending the evening tossing the football around, giving out hugs, sharing fist-bumps, and creating lasting memories for the kids.

On top of that, we were able to raise funds and further explain our mission to a generous group of returning friends and new faces. After dinner, Juliet Galton, a social worker at Levine, got up to give a speech about the realities these families face day-to-day, and she knocked it out of the park — or rather, sank a hole-in-one! She said, “The word cancer is the scariest word you will ever have to hear when it pertains to a member of your family. Especially your son or your daughter. I’ve heard it described as ‘an assault on our family’.” There was not a dry eye on the patio. We are so grateful to hear directly from those who work with these children on a daily basis and have them share their knowledge and compassion with us.

Then, we were honored and astounded as Kurt Coleman got up on the microphone to kickstart a round of donations — and he did it all by speaking directly from the heart. He explained to our guests what ‘Fund the Mission’ is: a special part of the live auction that allows participants to directly donate to the families’ most pressing needs. Kurt himself started off with a personal donation of $1,000 to Michael’s Way — and then pledged to donate another $1,000 for EACH interception he makes this season! We were blown away both by his generosity and his desire to make these children a focus the whole season long!

We are beyond grateful to all the Panthers that took time out of their very busy schedules to join us and help create a memorable day for all of the kids and families in attendance. Thank you to Brenton Bersin, Kurt Coleman, Colin Jones, Andy Lee, David Mayo, Jared Norris & Zack Sanchez!

This year’s event raised over $70,000 for Michael’s Way! We could not have done this without the support of our gracious sponsors, our volunteers, and the terrific staff at Charlotte Country Club. We have been given so much by so many generous people in a multitude of ways, and we appreciate all that you do! Thank you for supporting our mission, and remember to keep an eye on our awesome Panther friends this season!

May 1, 2017. May: Laynee Shiann, Kindergartner at WCK Walls School, Pitman, NJ

Creative, rambunctious and social butterfly are three ways to describe our Spotlight. Laynee loves to try new things, make friends and dance. She enjoys watching The Phillies with her family and playing Frisbee outside.

Miss Laynee has been considered cancer free for about 3 months now. But, she has battled Embryonic Vaginal Rhabdomyosarcoma for most of her life. At the young age of 22 months old, Laynee started to have blood appear in her diaper. After three separate trips to the local hospital with no answers, she visited St. Christopher’s where they spotted her tumor through an ultrasound. She went through 43 weeks of chemotherapy and surgery. Unfortunately, that was not the end of Laynee’s fight. The cancer came back in November of 2015 (age 4) and this time she went through 54 weeks of chemotherapy, radiation and another surgery. The road to remission has not been easy but Laynee knows that she is able to do anything she sets her mind to! 

You can show your support for Laynee HERE.

Information provided by her mother, Heather Nelson.

April 3, 2017. April: Ka’lon White, 6 yrs old from Matthews, NC

This lovable little boy has a spunky personality and is not afraid to speak his mind. He loves to play with his toys like monster trucks, legos and anything Star Wars. These are great distractions while spending time at Levine Children’s Hospital located in Charlotte, NC.

Just a few months ago, Ka’lon’s mother noticed lumps on his neck. Their pediatrician referred them to an ENT who prescribed blood work and a CT scan. The tests showed his white blood cells count to be over 600,000 and he was immediately admitted. “KK” is diagnosed with T-cell leukemia and undergoing a chemotherapy regiment that requires him to take chemo by IV through a port in his chest, intrathecally into his spinal fluid via lumbar punctures, by injections as well as orally. His mother hopes that he has a fulfilled life and all of his dreams come true.

Information provided by his mother, Jessica Romacho.

March 1, 2017. March: Stephanie Fooks-Parker, Blood and Marrow Transplant Program (BMT) Social Worker at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Stephanie, a Philly native, is a loving wife of 25 years to her husband, M. Bart, and also proud mama to her 16 year old son, Harrison. She enjoys traveling with her family to Florida and most recently Quebec City. When she is not working, she loves to read and bike ride. Stephanie is a compassionate, empathetic and inclusive person who is quite the problem solver. These are wonderful characteristics to have as a social worker.

For 25 years, Stephanie has continued to be dedicated to the field of oncology social work. It is her job to provide supportive counseling, education and resources to families and children, specifically those undergoing bone marrow/stem cell transplant. Stephanie loves meeting and connecting with each family. Her job can be tough so it has taught her to not sweat the small stuff and be grateful for what you have.

“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove…but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child” –Forest E. Witcraft

February 1, 2017. February: Syrianna Negron, 9 month old, Philadelphia, PA

Baby Syrianna is always happy, playful and smiling. She is a beautiful little girl who lights up the room when she dances to music and tries to walk. Syrianna continues to smile even though at the young age of three months old, she was diagnosed with Optic Glioma.

When Syrianna was just one month old, her mother noticed that her eyes were constantly shaking. After taking her to the pediatrician, they were sent to a Neurologist at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. They ordered all kinds of tests on Syrianna but it was the MRI that showed a tumor in the back of her eyes. In July of 2016, she was diagnosed with Optic Glioma. She began treatment right away which consists of weekly chemotherapy and MRI’s every three months. Her next MRI is on February 8^th and we are hopeful that the tumor continues to shrink. Her mother wishes for her baby to grow physically, mentally and emotionally. Syrianna is so brave and an inspiration to us all!

Information provided by her mother, Michelle Placencia.

January 4, 2017. January: Brianna Gansert, Junior at Mainland High School, Linwood, NJ

In September of 2014, Brianna was a 14 year old freshman in high school just four days into the new school year when she was diagnosed with Bilineage Leukemia. For the next year she spent more time in the hospital than out because of reactions she was having to the treatment. She suffered a lung infection that had her on antibiotics for 9 months, pericardial effusion, high bilirubin, elevated kidney function, a very bad case of mucositis, neuropathy, she was fed through an NG tube for a year, she was hospitalized for a nutritional crisis, she had a septic hip and avascular necrosis which eventually led to a hip replacement, ankle surgery and a knee replacement.

Through all of it Brianna has been able to maintain a 3.7 GPA in school and when she returned to school as a sophomore she was nominated by her teachers as Student of the Month. She will be graduating with her class in 2018. Brianna is also very involved in school clubs such as the Key Club, Interact Club, Hoofprints (the school newspaper), and she created and is president of Club Cure- a club that raises awareness about cancer. And if she wasn’t busy enough, because she will never be able to play sports again, Brianna has taken on the role of manager in Field Hockey. Brianna is also heavily involved in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of NJ and has been named their Honored Hero in 2014, Skipper of the Year in 2015, Honored Hero (again) in 2016 and she is currently campaigning to be Student of the Year in 2017 with the goal to raise $50K for cancer research.

Having cancer has changed her life and taught her to expect the unexpected and live in the moment. She says she hopes to see the day that cancer is cured!

Information provided by her mother, Jennifer Gansert.

November 30, 2016. December: Matthew Cruz, 4 years old, Philadelphia, PA

Matthew has big brown eyes, a loud mouth, fierce personality and his shark teeth smile is the sunshine in his mother’s morning. He loves to cuddle and enjoys buttering you up to get what he wants. He is a four year old boy that suffers perfectly from middle child syndrome.  He tries to out due his big brother and steals attention from his baby sister. Matthew also suffers from Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma.  

On a very hot Thursday afternoon in July of 2015, Matthew’s mother was trying to get him in the bath. He told his mother that he could not get undressed because his arm hadn’t worked in days. After undressing him, she noticed something sticking out of his arm pit. She rushed him to St. Christopher’s Hospital. That evening changed their lives forever. Matthew was put through all types of scans, tests, and blood work to determine that he had cancer. He got started on 4 rounds of chemotherapy right away.

As of now, Matthew is healed and cancer free! He tells his mother that he wants to be a police officer when he grows up so he can eat all the donuts he wants. His mother believes he was given another chance at life because he has a purpose. We can’t wait to see him grow and become successful!

Information provided by his mother, Marilyn Rodriguez.

November 2, 2016. November: Reilly Shimko, Kindergartner at Peters Elementary School, Walnutport, PA

Reilly just turned 6 years old! He is a very outgoing boy who loves to get dirty, ride bikes and play football. Shortly after his 4^th birthday he was complaining that his legs hurt. His parents rushed him to the ER and within 5 hours they were being told that their son had cancer.

Reilly was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). He has received chemotherapy, spinal taps and bone marrow checks. The early part of his life may have been a little rough but he is an inspiration to his little sister and parents. They just hope and pray for him to survive this cancer and have an amazing future.

Please follow Prayers for Reilly on Facebook to send your thoughts and prayers.

Information provided by his parents, Joe & Natasha.

October 28, 2016. Hole in One

We heard from a Charlotte Golf Outing participant the other day. Mr. Ed Hyman made his first hole in one on the 9th hole at the Cedarwood Country Club in Charlotte, NC. You might be asking why I am telling you this. He sent a picture of the ball that he used and it just happened to be the Michael’s Way golf balls that we gave out at our tournament in May. We were thrilled to hear that we could bring him some luck. To make the story even more exciting, his ball actually hit a tree, bounced on to the green and went in! An unbelievable shot. Congratulations, Mr. Hyman! Thank you for sharing your story with us.