By Samantha Thompson | Donor Relations Specialist
Blake is a sweet, 7-year-old boy who was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, which requires a one year treatment schedule. Blake was having a tough time with his inpatient stays, so CCA matched him with a Chemo Pal mentor to help him get through his tough treatments. That’s when Blake was introduced to Will. For the first three months of the match, Blake didn’t talk because his mouth hurt so much due to his radiation treatment. Recently, when Blake was headed in for another long inpatient stay, Will had a little something up his sleeve to make it a little better. Blake is a huge dirt bike fan and his hero is famous biker Ryan Dungey. Will was able to work some magic and have Ryan Dungey send him a few things, including a jersey, that were personally autographed to Blake. Will then surprised him with it while he was inpatient.
After this experience, Blake’s mom shared these words with CCA: “Will has been a blessing to Blake. Will has gotten Blake to smile when none of us could. After a long break, Blake got to see Will again and it made his entire week better. I hope Will gets as much out of it as Blake does. I am looking forward to their relationship growing and the two of them doing more together as Blake starts to feel better.”
Blake is one of the 250 Pacific Northwest children and teens CCA’s Chemo Pal® Mentor Program has brought the joy of friendship to in the past year. Trained Chemo Pal mentors have devoted 6,823 hours forging and strengthening friendships and family bonds, bringing diversion, fun, and activities to kids during their treatment. Chemo Pal mentors also give parents a much-needed break to grab a cup of coffee, talk with doctors, or spend time with their other children.
In 2013, Oregon Mentors awarded CCA’s Chemo Pal Mentor Program with their most prestigious award for mentoring excellence, recognizing the program for exceeding standards of excellence and quality.
With your support, we can match even more seriously ill children and teens with compassionate adults who offer supportive relationships throughout treatments.
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By Samantha Thompson | Donor Relations Specialist
By Samantha Thompson | Donor Relations Specialist
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