Childhood Cancer

Meet 2024 Ambassador Sam: A Renaissance Man with a Heart for Others

by Sam Macarah
January 23, 2024

cancer warrior Sam playing the cello at home.

Sam playing the cello.

Twenty-year-old Sam is a Renaissance man – an accomplished musician, pilot, and philanthropist. He’s also a three-time shavee, childhood cancer survivor, and 2024 St. Baldrick’s Ambassador who is committed to making a difference in the lives of other kids with cancer.

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Advocacy

Meet 2024 Ambassador Scott: A Childhood Cancer Survivor and Burgeoning Advocate

by St. Baldrick's Foundation
January 17, 2024

cancer survivor Scott surrounded by the pill bottles he's gone through during treatment

Ambassador Scott and the many pill bottles he went through during treatment.

Scott is a cheerful, hardworking 15-year-old who enjoys football, hanging out with friends, and traveling. His acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) diagnosis at age 3 was a complete shock to his family, especially since he seemed healthy and never even had a sick visit to the pediatrician.

Since he was diagnosed as a toddler, he couldn’t fully understand that by the time he finished treatment 3 ½ years later, he would take more than 1,500 pills, have blood transfusions and countless spinal taps, unpleasant nebulized antibiotic treatments for immunosuppression, and spend more than half of his life on chemo.

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Childhood Cancer

Meet 2024 Ambassador Aaron: A Huge Fan of Queen, Guitar, Lionel Messi, and Giving Back

by St. Baldrick's Foundation
January 8, 2024

Aaron smiling from ear to ear with his guitar.

Aaron and his guitar.

Resilient, positive, and determined are a few words that describe 16-year-old Aaron. These traits served him well through his battle with cancer and continue to guide his life today.

When he was 4, Aaron stopped walking. An MRI revealed the cause – a tumor on his spine. His mom, Beth, recalls, “They didn’t wake him up between the MRI and surgery. I remember whispering in his ear that if he made it though, he would get a puppy.” Surgery successfully removed 90% of the tumor. A few days later, his family received the official diagnosis – Ewing sarcoma, a rare bone and soft tissue cancer.

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Childhood Cancer

Meet the 2024 St. Baldrick’s Ambassadors!

by St. Baldrick's Foundation
January 3, 2024

2024 Ambassadors left to right: Aaron holding a guitar wearing a grey shirt, Camden wearing a striped light and dark grey shirt, Julianna with a pink bow on her head wearing a beige sweater, Scott wearing a blue button down, Sam wearing a button down with leaves on it.

St. Baldrick’s Ambassadors represent the more than 400,000 kids worldwide who are diagnosed with cancer each year. Ambassadors come from diverse geographic areas, ages, diseases, and treatment statuses. Their stories highlight the importance of supporting the best childhood cancer research so all kids diagnosed can live long, healthy, productive, and happy lives.

Every child is so much more than a cancer diagnosis. Each has their own unique personality, gifts, and talents. Read on to learn more about these remarkable kids.

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Families

Why We Need Research to Help Pediatric Cancer Survivors

by Katrina Knott
June 19, 2023

Editor’s Note: As we commemorate National Cancer Survivor Month, we’d like to introduce you to Katrina Knott, whose daughter, Arianna, was one of the five St. Baldrick’s “Ambassadors” for 2019. As you’ll read in her story, survivorship issues in pediatric cancer need attention – and funding – for those like Arianna, whose challenges are many.

Little girl with cancer sitting at the hospital.

Arianna during treatment.

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Real-Life Stories

Cancer-Free Isn’t Free: Survivorship is a Lifelong Journey

by Becky Chapman Weaver, Chief Mission Officer
June 1, 2023

June is National Cancer Survivor Month, a time to celebrate childhood cancer survivors and recognize that when a child is declared cancer-free, their cancer story isn’t over. Surviving childhood cancer is just the first step in a lifelong journey.

Childhood Cancer Survivor Stat

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Childhood Cancer

Meet 2023 Ambassador Hanna: A Lesson in Rising Above the Storm

by St. Baldrick's Foundation
January 17, 2023

Life can be unfair. Curveballs, challenges, and heartaches do not discriminate. Even for the nicest people you know. 

But there’s a popular quote that promises, “rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine.” 

Meet Hanna. She has embodied this quote for 29 years, rising above the unfair hand she was dealt to feel the sunshine on her face. 

Meet Hanna (no extra “h” at the end please). 

Photo of Hanna

Hanna

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Childhood Cancer

What It’s Like: A Survivor’s Speech 

by St. Baldrick's Foundation
October 11, 2022

The following speech was a highlight of the March 2022 St. Baldrick’s event at St. Agnes Parish Center in Rockville Centre, NY. With thanks to Greta, we’re sharing it so others can hear her experience and how she feels about St. Baldrick’s, as a childhood cancer survivor.

“Hi! My name is Greta Ohanian and I am currently 6 years out of treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Sometimes I struggle with what to say at events like this because there are so many aspects of cancer that I could touch on as a survivor. But one of the worst parts is how frightening it is to go into a cancer diagnosis knowing how limited the treatment is.

Greta during treatment.

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Real-Life Stories

The Top 2021 Messages Worth Remembering

by St. Baldrick's Foundation
December 16, 2021

As we close a difficult year, we reflect on lessons shared by childhood cancer patients and survivors who have faced adversity with grace, courage, and resilience. From their words, come some messages worth remembering now.

Sarah Swaim, age 31, two-time leukemia survivor & advocate

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation shares the top 2021 messages worth remembering. St. Baldrick’s Honored Kid, Sarah Swaim, and two-time leukemia survivor shares how having support during her cancer diagnosis helped her to keep going.

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Real-Life Stories

Surviving Cancer – Through the Eyes of a 16-year-old

by St. Baldrick's Foundation
June 28, 2021

Want to know what it’s like to be a teenage survivor of childhood cancer? We asked 16-year-old Michael G. to share his experience, during National Cancer Survivor Month.

Honored Kid, Michael G.

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