Dec 9, 2018
Cancer Survior Encourages Students to Volunteer at Radiothon, Benefiting the Hospital that Saved Her Life.
After witnessing her childhood friend survive her cancel battle because of St. Jude’s Research Hospital, 11-year-old Samantha Skowron told her Mom,
“If I ever get diagnosed with cancer I want to go to St. Jude.”
A few short years later, Sam’s family’s worst nightmare came true when at the age of fourteen, she was diagnosed with pediatric cancer.
As a 14-year-old girl, she wanted to worry about clothes and boys, but instead, she had to start on a life-saving journey to St. Jude’s hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. St. Jude’s Research Hospital’s mission is to find advance cures and means of prevention, for pediatric cancer. Because of their mission, Sam has been six years cancer free and at any chance she gets, she gives back in the form of volunteering.
The year she was diagnosed, Sam shared her story on the radio during the event, Radiothon, located in Cleveland, OH. This year she became even more involved with the event by reaching out to the event coordinator, Lia Hones, to see how she could get more people involved to volunteer and answer phones during Radiothon. Immediately, she reached out to members of her sorority and friends from school and the response she received was touching. After hearing that many people she knew signed up, Sam states,
“You guys are angels and I could cry. You don’t know how much this means to me!”
Sam continues to advocate for this amazing cause because she knows that even the smallest amount of money donated adds to the bigger picture. She states,
“The money you donate goes directly to the children. I never had to pay for a flight, I didn’t have to pay for a hotel, I didn’t have to pay for food, treatment, nothing.”
Radiothon is one of many volunteer events that raises money for pediatric cancer research. Last year alone, they nationally raised over half a million dollars and this year the goal is even higher. The local event in Cleveland, OH happens on the country radio station, WGAR 98.5, where kids and families like Sam, share their cancer stories on air. Listeners are then encouraged to call the hotline and become a Partner in Hope and give a monthly or one-time donation to the organization. Last year they raised $175,00 and this year their goal is to beat that and raise over $200,000.
The Development Representative for St. Jude’s Research Hospital, Lia Hones, stresses how important volunteers are for events like Radiothon. She adds that not only do they help with the event, but the volunteers physically see and become more aware of the cause and therefore want to encourage others to get involved and donate. To Lia, this is her absolute dream job, working for such a great cause and organization is everything she hoped to be doing after graduating from Ohio State last Spring.
It is people like Sam and Lia who are creating change and hope for children diagnosed with this terrible disease. Sam’s determination to help the organization that saved her life does not end with Radiothon. She will be creating an organization at Kent State University for next year that will hold events and raise money for St. Jude and their cancer research. They both encourage everyone, whether personally effected by this disease or not, to consider giving their time and money to a life-changing organization.
