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October 2, 2015. October: Emily McDermott, 4 year old from Abington, PA
This little Emily may be a young, care free toddler but she is much wiser than her years. Emily is a very outgoing and energetic girl who dreams to be a Rock Star or Actress on TV! When she was 3 years old, her energy started to decline and it showed. She became lethargic and ran fever after fever through the month of April 2014. Emily would complain that walking was too hard or her legs hurt. Her cancer first presented as a virus. After blood tests, she went from the pediatrician to the ER to the infectious disease floor of St. Christopher’s Hospital and all within one day.
Emily has been diagnosed with an extremely rare childhood cancer called Pleuropulmonary Blastoma, located in the lungs. Her treatment consists of surgery to remove her tumor followed by chemotherapy. Surgery was successful and she is now half way through her chemotherapy.
Her Mom says she dreams about the things she has taken for granted like Emily starting Kindergarten next year, holidays with friends and family, high school prom, a wedding. The greatest hope right now is total remission with no reoccurrence. Remember little Emily when she becomes a famous actress in Hollywood!
Information provided by her Mother, Elizabeth Baldwin.
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August 31, 2015. September: Carter Beckhard-Suozzi, 5th Grade at Connolly School in Glen Cove, NY
Carter Beckhard-Suozzi, 5th Grade at Connolly School in Glen Cove, NY
We first met Carter during our Fun Fest at CHOP back in June. He made quite the impression on one of our volunteers, Dana. Carter is a charmer with a fun personality. He loves sports, art, music, video games and super heroes.
Carter had been getting tummy aches for a month and after many doctor visits, his symptoms suddenly worsened. His parents rushed him to the pediatrician on a Monday afternoon and by Wednesday morning he was getting his first round of chemotherapy. Carter was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma on May 19th.
His recent diagnosis has given him super hero strength and power that he often likes to share with other patients. Carter feels he receives a lot of strength, power and love from his family and friends so he has plenty to share.
He shares, “I know that my life has made a big change and God threw me a curveball. But I am going to get through it with the people I love and care about. My life has changed forever and I respect and accept that because I know all the people who love me and care for me are always going to be at my side and help me get through anything”.
Information provided by his parents, Jane & Ralph Suozzi.
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August 3, 2015. August: Robin Capecci, Social Worker in the Oncology Unit at St. Christopher’s Hospital For Children
Robin Capecci, Oncology Social Worker at St. Christopher’s Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
Robin studied undergrad at West Chester University and then went straight to University of Pittsburgh for her Masters. She is an extremely hard worker and has dedicated over 30 years of her life at the hospital. A social worker gets to meet all different kinds of people and help them but they also see bad things happen to good people. She is always thinking about others first and her daughter says, “I want her to get to enjoy life because she is always worrying about everyone else”. Robin and her husband, Joe, have been married for 28 years. Joe Capecci, suffers from Multiple Systems Atrophy and she is his primary caretaker. Their daughter, Allie, is 20 years old attending Penn State University.
Robin loves her family and friends, going to the beach, book club with her neighbors, throwing parties and taking walks. She is funny, relatable and can and will talk to everyone! She and her family wish for a cure or medicines to slow the progression of Multiple Systems Atrophy. “My mom is truly the most selfless and wonderful person I know,” says Allie.
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give” –Winston Churchill
Information provided by her daughter, Allie Capecci.
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July 1, 2015. July: Danny Hill, Sophomore at Shawnee High School, NJ
Danny is a humble and kind young man who, like most teenage boys, loves sports and fishing. Danny is a strong athlete and excels at baseball as a pitcher. At the age of 13, during winter practice, Danny complained of an ache above his knee. When the “injury” did not get better, he went for an x-ray which showed an irregularity in his femur. Two days later, Danny was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, otherwise known as bone cancer. After surgery and 21 rounds of chemotherapy at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Danny walks cancer free. His latest scans were clear so his family celebrated!
Danny’s parents could not be more proud of the way he has handled this curveball. He has always been a wonderful brother to his 3 sisters and now is a great role model to all of his peers as well. Danny has inspired so many with his positive attitude. His peers said, “He is the strongest kid we know”.
To follow his journey, please visit www.turn24danny.com.
Information provided by his mother, Gary and Anne Hill.
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September 30, 2015. A Precious Gift
What an inspiring weekend in Philadelphia! We were excited to kick off the weekend by unveiling a new 85′ billboard welcoming Pope Francis. Thanks to our buddy, Zander, for smiling so big that he lights up 76! We hope everyone will enjoy seeing the new image and that it brings a smile to your face. Thank you to the many people who continue to support our efforts to help families and children with cancer.
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August 21, 2015. Words from a Social Worker
We received a sweet note from Darlene Hammel, a social worker at the Specialty Care Center of CHOP: “I just had to send a card to you to thank you and Michael’s Way for all you do for our families. While you probably rarely hear from my families they really do appreciate all the support they receive from Michael’s Way. You might not be aware of it but most of our families, by the end of treatment, have medical bills which are quite large. By your foundation assisting them financially they are able to make payments on the balanced owed. Thank you so much”.
April 18, 2015. Cancer Curveball
Not many kids spend their Friday nights giving back but Dan Hill is not most kids. And if you’ve ever coordinated any kind of event, you know it takes more than one night. Throw Cancer a Curveball raised over $11,000 and it is all thanks to 3Dimensional Physical Therapy of Medford, NJ and the Hill Family! They ran a very successful fundraiser at Big League Dreams. Danny Hill and his family have now become our family. We are lucky to have met you. Thank you for your kind and generous hearts, you have a lot to be proud of!
April 17, 2015. Warm Welcome in Charlotte
Last night’s Grand Opening in Charlotte is going to be tough to beat! Scott Crutchfield, Michael’s Way Board Member, introduced us to the Charlotte community and we were welcomed with great food, drink and conversation. Our new friends at the NASCAR Foundation attended to show their support and ran into one of their own…Joey Logano! Mr. Logano made an exciting appearance as he closed the night out with a $30,000 donation to Michael’s Way! Thank you to the Joey Logano Foundation for that generous donation! Since January, we have been working with the Oncology social workers at Levine Children’s Hospital and they have expressed the great need for financial support. Thanks to his contribution, we will be able to make a significant impact on the lives of families that have children with cancer. We are thrilled with this recent expansion and look forward to many more good things to come!
April 7, 2015. In the Media
We have been all over your TV and newspaper! If you missed us, please catch up with the links below.
Thank you to the media for covering this heartwarming story about Zander, a 5 yr old leukemia patient, and his family as they let us into their home for a very exciting renovation! Building Hope for Kids is a home renovation project created by the Flyers Wives. We have been lucky enough to partner with the Philadelphia Flyers and Flyers Wives for the past four years!
Philly.com: Cause & Celebration: Building Hope for Kids Flyers Block Party
Northeast Times: Labor of Love
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April 3, 2015. New Chapter Charlotte Reception
Scott Crutchfield invites you to join him Thursday, April 16, 2015 at Myers Park Country Club For a reception to introduce Michael’s Way to the Charlotte community.
When: Thursday, April 16th
Time: 5:30-7:00pm
Where: Myers Park Country Club
2415 Roswell Ave
Charlotte, NC 28209
704-376-0741
RSVP by April 13th:
Trish Fulvio, pafulvio@aol.com, 484-433-7767
