‘Hope and empathy’

An OUWB student organization recently partnered with a large nonprofit to raise more than $1,000 for pediatric cancer research.

OUWB’s Oncology Interest Group (OncIG) worked with St. Baldrick’s Foundation on the effort held March 17.

St. Baldricks is the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants, having put more than $356 million towards its efforts. During St. Baldrick’s fundraisers, participants collect donations to raise money and show solidarity with people who have been diagnosed with cancer. Some take it a step further and cut off some or all of their hair as an additional show of support.

Julia Freeman, M2, president, OncIG, had more than a foot of her hair lopped off.

“Unfortunately, pediatric cancer is something that is not really talked about … when it happens in real life, it happens behind closed doors,” said Freeman.

She added that organizations like St. Baldrick’s offer hope to families through pursuit of new treatments and the promise of working towards helping children with cancer survive and live full, vibrant lives.

As the organization website states, “Together, we can turn today’s discoveries into tomorrow’s cures.”

Freeman shared a story about her brother, Kevin, to the two dozen or so other OUWB students who participated in the event.

Kevin was a very active, athletic child who developed severe headaches and vomiting at age 9. Imaging showed a brain tumor in the posterior fossa, which ultimately caused intracranial pressure. He was diagnosed with Group 4 medulloblastoma.

The family sought treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, largely due to the positive experiences they had with a radiation oncologist at the center.

Kevin underwent brain surgery to resect the tumor, followed by intensive chemotherapy and radiation. Freeman described how it all led to severe and extensive rehabilitation – and how Kevin made it through by doing what kids do, playing video games, reading Harry Potter, and sometimes playing practical jokes on health care workers.

“He liked to rate the nurses who were doing blood draws on him … give them a score of one through 10,” she said with a laugh.

Following the first set of treatments, Kevin regained his strength, even returning to the ice to play hockey despite some doctors saying he may never walk again.

Freeman talked about her brother's journey with pediatric cancer.

Unfortunately, she said, Kevin’s cancer recurred roughly every three years. What became a chronic, relapsing brain cancer was managed through repeated high-intensity treatments.

But they just weren’t enough to overcome the fact that the cancer had spread to his bones by 2018. Following a stroke, Kevin died on Feb. 23, 2020 — about 14 years after his initial diagnosis.

Freeman said she wanted to share the story for two primary reasons: one to raise awareness of the need for pediatric cancer funding and to also help the future physicians in attendance understand the importance of seeing and treating patients as people.

“The thing I really hope people take away from hearing my brother’s story is that there’s a person behind all of the treatments, and all of the cancer,” she said afterwards. “And also that even though devastating things may happen, it’s not the end of the world.”

“We can treat these kinds of people with hope and empathy … we can still make jokes and laugh with patients like my brother,” she added.

The presentation hit home for those in attendance like Rachel Israel, M2, whose sister died at the age of 30 after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

“It’s not something people like to hear about all the time because it’s sad and it’s scary,” said Israel. “But hearing the details makes it real and helps people understand how important it is that we do stuff like this.”

Israel led a fundraiser in late 2025 that raised nearly $10,000 for breast cancer research.

“The fact that there’s so little money moving towards research makes it especially important for us as medical students to take a stand and try to get more funding in whatever ways possible,” she said.

Lauren DeSantis, M2, shared similar thoughts in light of her mother being treated for cancer. She too emphasized the importance of new studies and treatments and said she could relate to the emotional toll of the disease.

“I was so proud of Julia telling her brother’s story with so much strength,” she said. “I feel like it would make her brother proud that she shared his story in a way that will help other people.”

DeSantis also spoke about those who came to the St. Baldrick’s fundraiser.

“It demonstrates how we show up for each other that that we care about each other on a deeper level,” she said. “We’re willing to put in the time and work to help others.”