When my nephew, Judah, was 9 months old, he started having brief staring episodes. Dismissed by one neurologist, another sent for an MRI which would reveal a tumor in his left temporal lobe, just a few weeks before he turned 1 on Saint Patrick’s Day, 2020. Finally, after delays due to COVID, on June 4th 2020 at just 15 months old, Judah underwent an 11 hour surgery to remove the tumor (which also meant his left temporal lobe). They successfully got about 90-95% of the tumor, the last part was too close to brain stem to risk removal. Pathology revealed a Intermediate-grade glioma (BRAF V600E mutation) left temporal lobe which is largely responsible for speech and social/emotional regulation. He underwent 7 months of chemo with the goal of shrinking the residual tumor. The biggest issues during chemo were neuropathy, loss of appetite, and fatigue, accompanied with not being able to communicate well. Judah has been in speech and feeding therapy since he was 18 months old and also now attends OT and takes a variety of medications for behavioral challenges and emotional regulation. He gets MRIs every 6 months to check on the residual tumor to make sure it hasn’t grown, which it may again in the future. Judah is now an extremely bright, spirited almost 7 year old who loves his family and art. He is a big brother to 3 siblings and thrives outside and in his kindergarten class.

So, why am I shaving my head? A challenge among friends 25 years ago has become the largest volunteer movement to Conquer Kids’ Cancer. This year, I’m joining thousands of others to shave my head to raise money for childhood cancer research!

Did you know, 1 in 5 kids diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. won’t survive? For those who do, more than 96% have severe or life-threatening conditions by the time they are 50.

Each shaved head, every dollar donated, creates a ripple effect of progress for kids with cancer.

Your gift will give kids and their families hope, supporting the best research across the country, through the largest charity funder of childhood cancer research grants, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

Together, let’s give these kids the lifetime they deserve. Thank you for your support!