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October 3, 2016. October: Orland Cortes, Kindergartner at Taylor Bayard School, Philadelphia, PA

Orland is a brave 5 year old boy who lives and goes to school in the Philadelphia area. Like most little boys, he is very active, plays a lot and knows how to have fun. His favorite sport is football and loves to play video games on his Playstation. Orland also likes to read and listen to stories, watch movies and cartoons. This is important for him to rest and recover during his battle with cancer.

In the Spring of 2015, at the young age of 3, Orland was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, Stage IV. He is being treated at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children where the staff has become family. His treatment has included chemotherapy, surgery, stem cell transplants, radiation and currently immunotherapy. This experience has made Orland mature and become more compassionate for others. As a family, they have learned to be more positive and called on their faith to keep them strong. The Cortes family has prayers on their side. They wish to see their son grow up as a “normal kid” to help others in the future.

Information provided by his parents, Maria & Jorge.

September 1, 2016. September: Lukas Kusters, 4th Grader at Forest Oak Elementary, Wilmington, DE

Boys, boys & more boys! Lukas’s mother sure has her hands full with 5 energetic sons. Lukas Kuster is one of the younger siblings at the age of 9 and entering the 4th grade this year. Lukas is a very active and athletic “gentle giant”. He loves playing football and is a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan! You can probably guess his favorite video game is Madden. On the football field, Lukas earned the nickname “The Dutch Destroyer”. He would do anything for anyone. Lukas thrives in any situation he is put in. Currently, he is fighting for his life.

This past Spring, Lukas got sick and was taken to the hospital where they discovered a large tumor. Lukas has been diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma and is being treated at the Nemours Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, DE. He has experienced many unexpected road blocks with three months in the hospital and intubated for 25 of those days. Lukas is currently undergoing chemotherapy and will follow up with radiation. This experience has taught him to be grateful and thankful for every day. Lukas realizes his own strength and never loses it. We hope his strengths take him right to the NFL!

To read more about Lukas and his journey, please visit www.caringbridge.com/visit/lukaskusters.

Information provided by his mother, Rebecca Kusters.

July 29, 2016. August: Hayden Weiss, Pre-K, Garnet Valley, PA

Hayden is a fun-loving four year old who likes to play dress up. She loves going to school and playing with her friends and family. Hayden will be going into pre-K this fall. She is a very caring and compassionate girl. Chick-Fil-A is her favorite place to eat.

On the morning of July 4^th last year, Hayden and her family were out shopping at the mall. Light happened to catch her eye at just the right angle and her parents noticed a strange haze in her pupil. They immediately took her to the emergency room where an ultrasound discovered a tumor in her eye. Hayden was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma. Her right eye was removed and she spent 6 months in CHOP & Wills Eye receiving some of the most harsh chemotherapy drugs. Also, she underwent 25 rounds of radiation to her brain. Through this journey, her parents have taught her that she can do anything she puts her mind to! Hayden loves to cook with her mom and says that someday she wants to open her own restaurant.

Since Hayden was ill last summer, she is making up for it by learning how to swim and spending time outside and in the pool. She has fought extremely hard and is an inspiration to us all!

Information provided by her parents, Andrew & Helen Weiss.

July 1, 2016. July: Lilly Ibbotson, 1 year old from Hatboro, PA

This little princess will be two years old in November and like most toddlers she loves Elmo and Minnie Mouse. Lilly has a lot of energy that she likes to exhaust swimming or running around with her big brother, Tyler, who is 13.

Lilly has barely lived long enough to learn how to ride a bike, go to the movies or start school. She will be well educated in the medical field before she ever hits pre-school. Back in March of this year, Lilly was rushed to the ER, given an X-ray where a mass was detected in her chest. She is being treated with chemotherapy at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. When Lilly is old enough to understand, her mother will be able to tell her brave battle story. Her hope is that Lilly will grow up and want to go into the medical field and help cure childhood cancer. For now, she looks forward to the summer and playing games with her big brother. Lilly loves her supportive family.

Cancer picked the wrong princess!

Information provided by her mother, Nicole Ibbotson.

June 24, 2016. In lieu of favors…

You know it’s going to be a good day when you open your mail to find a wonderful note from an old friend attached to a generous donation. Greg DiPietro used to attend our annual Golf Tournament as a patient and this year he will return as a healthy and thriving adult. Him and his new wife, Kerri, sent us a letter that we would like to share. This kind of generosity is contagious and we wish the newlyweds a lifetime of health and happiness!

Dear Chris McElwee and The Michael’s Way Family,
On April 23rd of this year, I married my now wife, Kerri. Kerri and I were very thankful for the beautiful day it turned out to be! In lieu of favors at the wedding, we wanted to make a donation to a charity.

Given my past interactions with Michael’s Way, in particular allowing me to attend the golf outing (special thanks to Alfred Ferraro for hosting me) and to speak at the dinner after, Kerri and I wanted to give back to Michael’s Way by making this donation!

Kerri and I greatly appreciate the impact you make everyday on the families who’s children are battling cancer! As a pediatric cancer survivor, I can personally attest to the difference your organization makes!

Thank you,
Greg & Kerri DiPietro

June 8, 2016. 1st Annual Golf Tournament in Charlotte

We kicked off our 1^st Annual Golf Tournament with beautiful weather, delicious food and great conversation. For some, that would be enough, but our goal is for everyone to walk away from the event having a great understanding of Michael’s Way and our mission to assist Pediatric Oncology families at the Levine Children’s Hospital. We are honored and humbled by the support we received. Thanks to sponsors, participants and a very generous hole in one prize, we raised over $60,000! That money will help a lot of families stay on their feet when it feels like their ground has dropped from beneath them.

Thank you to the hardworking staff at Myers Park Country Club for hosting us and to all of our wonderful sponsors! See you on Monday, May 8, 2017.

June 1, 2016. June: Juliet Galton, Pediatric Oncology Social Worker, Charlotte, NC

Ms. Galton is a pizza loving mama to her amazing cat (who has an identity crisis and acts more like a dog). She is quite the world traveler as she has lived in Spain for two years and Mexico for five! Her love for cultures introduced her to Latin dancing. Juliet was born and raised in South Carolina attending Clemson University for her degree in Psychology and following up with her Masters in Social Work from the University of South Carolina. Work brought her to North Carolina 3.5 years ago. She still visits her family in Myrtle Beach at least once a month but her time is devoted to taking care of families that are experiencing the most challenging times in their lives.

Juliet’s position at the hospital is crucial to families whether it be providing a listening ear or connecting them to financial resources. She is there to help with the logistics of caring for a child going through treatment. She can direct the families to organizations that help with transportation, respite vacations, wigs and counseling among many other things. She feels privileged to be able to encourage families and give them hope.

“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today” –Thich Nhat Hanh

May 2, 2016. May: Zahir Berry, 1st grader at Mastery Pastorius Charter, Philadelphia, PA

This adorable little boy recently turned 7 years old. He is quite the performer. Zahir loves to sing and tell jokes because it makes others happy. Everywhere he goes, he loves to meet people and give women hugs and men handshakes. Zahir has a large family. He is one of seven siblings so he always has people to interact with. He is their happy and carefree social butterfly.

Zahir was diagnosed in June of 2015 when he was just 6 years old. He was having bad headaches and vomiting. So, his family brought him to St. Christopher’s where he had an MRI and cat scan. This is when they noticed the tumor. Zahir was diagnosed with AT/RT which is a rare brain tumor. He is currently being treated with chemotherapy treatments and will follow up with radiation.

“God’s Angel” is what his family calls him. Zahir has so much joy and love to share. They can’t wait for the day that he is cancer free and can live a normal childhood.

Information provided by his grandmother, Marlene Berry.

April 1, 2016. April: Dante Sime, 5th grader at Northwood Academy Charter, Philadelphia, PA

This lovable 11 year old boy is not a fan of eating spinach but he does like all super heroes and action figures. Sounds about right! Dante likes to spend time playing games with his brother, particularly games having to do with strategy. He is a smart little boy. His favorite games are Minecraft, Call of Duty, Just Cause 3. These are the things Dante likes to do when he is not spending time at the hospital.

Dante was diagnosed in May of 2014 when he was just 9 years old. He had developed lumps on his head and behind his ear which were cause for concern. Dante is being treated for Lymphoma at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children where he receives chemotherapy every other week. Once he is finished with treatment, his dream is to visit sunny Hawaii or Trinidad. Dante continues to fight and will strategize to beat his cancer.

Information provided by his father, Isidor Sime.

March 4, 2016. March: Kylie Drumm, 2nd grader at Blair Mill Elementary, Horsham, PA

You may remember seeing Ms. Kylie during our Star Search competition. Kylie has a beautiful voice and loves to sing, dance and act. So it is no surprise that big sister, Kylie, is the family drama queen. She has a very strong willed personality for a seven year old. This personality has come in handy the past year.

Last year, Kylie was complaining of leg pain. For months, she randomly started to snack on ice, her skin became really pale…even family was noticing. About a month before she was diagnosed, Kylie started with very low grade fevers, chose the ice over food and didn’t get off the couch. It was time to get blood work done. On August 11, 2015, a week before Kylie’s 7^th birthday, she was diagnosed with B-ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia). Kylie is being treated at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where she has had two bone marrow transplants, spinal taps with chemotherapy, leg injections and oral medication on a regular basis. Her mother says that her prayers are answered every day when Kylie wakes up and walks down stairs for a good morning hug. Hopefully, one day soon, Kylie won’t have to be poked and medicated.

“Fight Song” by Rachel Platten has been a big inspiration for Kylie. We can’t wait to hear you perform your own songs one day, Kylie!

Information provided by her mother, Gina Johnson.