A Heartfelt Goodbye to Two Board Members
Today marks the end of an era for Joe Bartlett and Chuck Chamness as they complete their terms on our board of directors. Read 2012 Ambassador Sarah’s heartfelt letter thanking them for all the hard work they’ve dedicated to kids with cancer.
Joe Bartlett (left) and Chuck Chamness hold their goodbye gifts at their final St. Baldrick’s board meeting.
Dear Mr. Bartlett and Mr. Chamness,
I want to thank you for all you have done as members of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s board of directors.
Dear Mom, Thank You for Always Being There for Me
2012 Ambassador Sarah’s childhood cancer journey was nothing less than difficult. But through it all, she had the constant support from her mom. Read Sarah’s sweet letter to her mom for Mother’s Day.
Sarah was diagnosed with biphenotypic leukemia in August 2003.
Dear Mom,
Where do I even begin to thank you for all you have given and done for me? To be honest, it’s a little daunting.
Sarah’s Shave for Abby [VIDEO]
Last month, 2012 Ambassador Sarah told us how excited she was for her upcoming shave. We were, too — so we filmed it!
When Sarah Swaim says that she knows what kids with cancer are going through, it’s true.
That’s because the three-time shavee is also a two-time childhood cancer survivor.
Third Time’s the Charm: Sarah Gets Ready to Go Bald Again
It’s been over three years since 2012 Ambassador Sarah has seen herself bald. She’s breaking that streak on Saturday to be a shavee℠ for the third time. As a childhood cancer survivor, Sarah writes about what bravery looks like to her and what makes shaving so special this time.
Sarah (left) smiles with Honored Kid Abby at Camp Fantastic in 2015.
I’m often asked if I’m nervous about my upcoming shave.
I can honestly say I’m not at all. After all, this will be my third time shaving my head for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation!
The usual response I get is, “You’re so brave.” But I don’t see myself as the brave one.
In Sickness and in Health: Sarah and Patrick’s Love Story
2012 Ambassador Sarah and her fiancé, Patrick, have been through a lot in their seven years together. Read how they conquered Sarah’s childhood cancer together and the love that endured through it all.
Sarah and Patrick smile with their dog, Oswald.
“It was like our eyes locked and the world sort of shifted.”
That’s how Sarah recalls the day she met her fiancé, Patrick, 10 years ago.
From Relapse to Graduation: What a Difference Four Years Can Make
When 2012 Ambassador Sarah’s leukemia relapsed in 2010, she had to put her life on hold. She left college, underwent a stem cell transplant, and participated in a St. Baldrick’s-funded clinical trial that ultimately saved her life. Now in remission, she graduated college and is looking forward to starting her new job. Help find a cure for all kids with cancer — get involved.
It wasn’t until the week before, when I dug it out of my closet to iron it, that I realized the finish line I was about to cross. For that week, I got to see my cap and gown every day and reflect on everything that has happened, everything I’ve overcome, and everything that lay ahead.
Sarah’s Story: Thank You for Giving to Childhood Cancer Research
Sarah gives hope and thanks after fighting cancer for the second time. You can give hope to kids with cancer, too. Fund Research
Then a checkup in June 2010 revealed that the leukemia had returned. Sarah’s only hope for a cure was a stem cell transplant.
“There’s no easy way to say what it’s like being a young adult with cancer … it’s harder than you can imagine,” Sarah says. “The physical and emotional tolls were just awful and for the longest time, I couldn’t remember feeling well. I had a lot of pain, nausea, and was so weak I couldn’t do even the simplest of things.”
St. Baldrick’s and dailyRx Google+ Hangout: Childhood Cancer in Adolescents and Young Adults [VIDEO]
We were joined by Emily and Sarah, St. Baldrick’s Ambassadors who were both diagnosed with types of childhood cancers in their teens; Dr. Brandon Hayes-Lattin, a St. Baldrick’s Infrastructure Grant recipient and Medical Director of the Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute; Jane Hoppen, St. Baldrick’s Foundation Director of Family Relations; and Steven Incontrera, dailyRx Director of Social Media and moderator for the Hangout.
Climb for Five: Mount Elbrus
In late 2009, Patrick McCarrick, long-time St. Baldrick’s volunteer and shavee, decided to do something that would inspire people to join him in the fight to conquer childhood cancers. He established Climb for Five (C45) – a team with a mission to summit the highest peaks on each of the continents while raising funds and awareness for life-saving childhood cancer research. Since then, the C45 Team has climbed Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro in 2010 and Washington state’s Mount Rainier in 2011.
If Childhood Cancer Hadn’t Returned, I’d Graduate Next Week
Photo by Stephanie Beaty, Lifeography
By Sarah Swaim, one of five St. Baldrick’s Foundation 2012 Ambassadors
I was diagnosed with a type of childhood cancer when I was 14. When I was 20, the cancer returned again.
There’s no easy way to say what it’s like being a young adult with cancer. It sucks and it’s harder than you can imagine. I was in college, pursuing my dreams of majoring in Early Childhood Development. But when I got sick, I needed to leave college for two years and put those dreams on hold.
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