By Ray O'Hanlon
rohanlon@irishecho.com
April 1, 2009 There is new hope for children such as courageous Grace O'Gorman who have to battle cancer at a very young age.
A just developed vaccine that could prevent relapses promises far greater potential relief from the devastating effects of the cancer that Grace has been battling, Stage Four Neuroblastoma.
And Grace's parents have set up a new charity that will be working to aid other children facing the same challenges as the young County Cork girl, who has been in treatment since last year at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan.
"Grace is in remission again," her mother, Millicent Stone, who is a doctor, told the Echo.
"We are trying to ensure the vaccine is available for her and all the other kids so they survive. The whole point of our new charity to make those stories a thing of the past," she said.
The new charity is called Angels for Hope Neuroblastoma Research Foundation Inc. and to kick start its effort the group is hosting a benefit at The Carlyle Hotel this Thursday, April 2, to begin the process of raising funds for a vaccine against relapses of the cancer that has made two-year-old Grace's life so difficult.
Grace's medical problems first became evident last year when her parents, who are from Passage West in County Cork, were traveling to Toronto where her mom had secured a hospital post.
When they stopped in Rochester, NY, Millicent and Grace's father, Kevin, noticed that Grace was limping. Not wanting to take any chances Millicent flew back to New York with Grace while Kevin continued to Toronto as their other daughter, Alice, was starting school. It was at that point that the diagnosis of cancer changed the O'Gorman family's life.
Grace's subsequent battle against cancer was given a big boost when a fundraiser organized by the County Cork Association in New York raised $45,000 to help meet her enormous medical costs.
This and other fundraising efforts have raised over $80,000 to date. But the total cost of Grace's treatment could end up coming with an extra zero: $800,000.
All of the family's savings, plus money borrowed, has gone to Grace's treatment to date. Meanwhile, details on the Carlyle event are available at www.projectuploaded.com/Angels/html/.
The battle against childhood cancer has been stepped in recent years as new treatments come on stream but fundraising is a constant necessity. And it was with this in mind that Tim Kenny and others decided to create St. Baldrick's Day nine years ago in New York and attach it to a most familiar calendar date, March 17th, St. Patrick's Day.
This year, Kenny, who is chairman of the group's board, initiated the first St. Baldrick's head-shaving event in Jim Brady's Irish Pub in Manhattan's financial district.
"St. Baldrick's raises funds for childhood cancer research by hosting worldwide head-shaving events where volunteers shave their heads to stand in solidarity with the kids who typically lose their hair during cancer treatment," said a statement from the organization.
On the first St. Baldrick's Day, the goal was to raise $17,000 by shaving 17 heads on March 17th. Since then, St. Baldrick's has raised over $57 million, has shaved over 94,000 heads at over 2,200 events held in 48 states and 18 countries.
This year, Kenny was joined by volunteers and supporters when he rang the closing bell of the NASDAQ stock market.
This story appeared in the issue of April 1-7, 2009
