Tampa Bay families head to CureFest in Washington D.C. for pediatric cancer awareness
TAMPA, Fla. - A group of Tampa Bay Area families is heading on a very special trip to the nation's capitol this weekend.
They each share a unique bond after losing children to rare and aggressive forms of cancer.
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But now they've dedicated their lives to advocating for more pediatric cancer research funding and helping other parents who are trying to navigate these unthinkable journeys. That's exactly what they'll be doing at CureFest.
CureFest is held annually in September to mark National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
At the four-day-long event, representatives from pediatric cancer awareness foundations travel to Capitol Hill to speak to lawmakers in hopes of getting increased research funding to find better treatments and, ultimately, cures. Right now, only about 4 % of cancer research dollars go towards pediatric cancer.
There will also be workshops, bereavement support groups, a march to the White House, and on Sunday, an incredibly powerful memorial ceremony. 1,800 pairs of empty shoes, that these young warriors once walked in, will be displayed across the National Mall.
"That represents the number of children that die each year from a pediatric cancer disease," said Mary Ann Massalio, Founder and Executive Director of 1Voice Foundation. "It's really important as bereaved families that their child is remembered."
Mary Ann leads her 1Voice families to DC for CureFest every year.
More than 20 years ago, she was already working as a pediatric oncology social worker before her own son, Jay, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and passed away six months into his treatment.
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Years later, her non-profit partnered with Hillsborough County schools to run an academy at the rotary camp in Brandon.
It's the first school in the United States where children battling cancer can learn alongside each other, while also learning how to navigate life with their illnesses.
Mary Ann and her team also work with hospitals to offer 25 support programs for pediatric cancer families in Tampa Bay and operate the only private pediatric cancer research lab in Tampa.