Blog Post

Newsletter July 2020

Jul 21, 2020

MEAGAN'S WALK NEWSLETTER
July 2020

MEAGAN'S WALK NEWSLETTER

 July 2020

FUNDRAISING MILESTONES

A GIANT HUG OF THANKS!

Thanks to you, this year’s Together We Virtually Hug campaign reached and passed the $100,000 mark in June. Let’s celebrate this milestone together!

THIS $100K MEANS:

Meagan’s Walk can fund 4 new seed research projects that could lead to the next major breakthrough in paediatric brain tumour research;
Meagan’s Walk can support the purchase of new lab equipment that can lead to improve patient treatments;
Meagan’s Walk can make a difference in the lives of children around the world.

All of this, thanks to you!

Meagan's Walk Logo

TOGETHER WE
VIRTUALLY HUG!

DONATE
Thumbnail of video
CLICK TOWATCH OUR
VIRTUAL HUG VIDEO!
There is work ahead of us to attain our annual fundraising goal. Our community remains strong, supportive and motivated!

In these uncertain times, the journey for our kids affected by brain tumours does not stop. Meagan's Walk funding for brain tumour research is now more important than ever.
Together we can reach our goal!
Together we can make a difference!

FUNDRAISING MILESTONES

A GIANT HUG OF THANKS!

Thanks to you, this year’s Together We Virtually Hug campaign reached and passed the $100,000 mark in June. Let’s celebrate this milestone together!

THIS $100K MEANS:

Meagan’s Walk can fund 4 new seed research projects that could lead to the next major breakthrough in paediatric brain tumour research;
Meagan’s Walk can support the purchase of new lab equipment that can lead to improve patient treatments;
Meagan’s Walk can make a difference in the lives of children around the world.

All of this, thanks to you!

Meagan's Walk Logo

TOGETHER WE
VIRTUALLY HUG!

DONATE
Thumbnail of video
CLICK TOWATCH OUR
VIRTUAL HUG VIDEO!
There is work ahead of us to attain our annual fundraising goal. Our community remains strong, supportive and motivated!

In these uncertain times, the journey for our kids affected by brain tumours does not stop. Meagan's Walk funding for brain tumour research is now more important than ever.
Together we can reach our goal!
Together we can make a difference!

MEET HARPER

Sweet and resilient Harper, 6, was diagnosed with brain cancer in November 2017. Twenty-four hours after arriving at SickKids, surgeons successfully removed a dangerous tumour that had manifested in the lower part of her head.

But a difficult road lay ahead for the little girl.

Three-year-old Harper underwent five rounds of chemotherapy, two of which were high-dose cycles with a stem cell transplant. The powerful medicine ravaged her kidneys, liver and intestines, meaning that she had to be put on a feeding tube.

While Harper’s dad slept at the hospital, mom Sonja toted her two younger daughters back and forth from an apartment at Ronald McDonald House where they spent each night.

On the day of Meagan’s Walk & HUG two years ago, Sonja had been by Harper’s bedside, watching helplessly as she suffered the effects of her stem cell transplant. Sonja was feeling especially alone, but when she looked out the window to see that incredible hand-in-hand hug of hope around the hospital, her spirits soared.
Sweet and resilient Harper, 6, was diagnosed with brain cancer in November 2017. Twenty-four hours after arriving at SickKids, surgeons successfully removed a dangerous tumour that had manifested in the lower part of her head.

But a difficult road lay ahead for the little girl.

Three-year-old Harper underwent five rounds of chemotherapy, two of which were high-dose cycles with a stem cell transplant. The powerful medicine ravaged her kidneys, liver and intestines, meaning that she had to be put on a feeding tube.

While Harper’s dad slept at the hospital, mom Sonja toted her two younger daughters back and forth from an apartment at Ronald McDonald House where they spent each night.

On the day of Meagan’s Walk & HUG two years ago, Sonja had been by Harper’s bedside, watching helplessly as she suffered the effects of her stem cell transplant. Sonja was feeling especially alone, but when she looked out the window to see that incredible hand-in-hand hug of hope around the hospital, her spirits soared.

“It was such a beautiful moment to feel loved and be seen by all of these strangers,” recalls Sonja. “Later I learned that the event was for children with brain tumours, which made me feel even more seen, as we hadn’t met any other families with a child facing the same thing as Harper.”

Harper no longer spends her days at SickKids. She finished at-home maintenance chemotherapy last July, and joyfully attends senior kindergarten and gymnastics classes. She can’t wait to participate in Meagan’s Walk & HUG with her mom, dad and sisters.

“Meagan’s Walk and the money it raises for research is so important to us,” says Sonja. “It gave us another option other than radiation for Harper, and we are so unbelievably thankful for that.” 

Research News from the Brain Tumour Research Centre (BTRC)

This month, we congratulate the lab of Dr. Cynthia Hawkins

In the April 13, 2020 edition of Cancer Cell, the Hawkins lab published a study titled ‘Integrated Molecular and Clinical Analysis of 1,000 Pediatric Low-Grade Gliomas’. This comprehensive study used robust clinical patient information with an analysis of tissue histology and DNA/RNA sequencing approaches to analyze the genetic changes in over 1000 patients with pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG).

One of the study’s most important revelations came from the development of a “risk-stratification strategy”, which for the first time, allows for better understanding of the disease’s outcomes and enables doctors to identify the more aggressive tumour subtypes that should be prioritized for novel treatments.
The ability to assess future patients with this decision algorithm allows for strategies to rapidly choose the best treatment options with the hope of the best patient treatment response based on the tumours’ histology and molecular profile.

Christian Smith, PhD
Reseach Operations Manager, BTRC
In the April 13, 2020 edition of Cancer Cell, the Hawkins lab published a study titled ‘Integrated Molecular and Clinical Analysis of 1,000 Pediatric Low-Grade Gliomas’. This comprehensive study used robust clinical patient information with an analysis of tissue histology and DNA/RNA sequencing approaches to analyze the genetic changes in over 1000 patients with pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG).

One of the study’s most important revelations came from the development of a “risk-stratification strategy”, which for the first time, allows for better understanding of the disease’s outcomes and enables doctors to identify the more aggressive tumour subtypes that should be prioritized for novel treatments. The ability to assess future patients with this decision algorithm allows for strategies to rapidly choose the best treatment options with the hope of the best patient treatment response based on the tumours’ histology and molecular profile. 

Christian Smith, PhD
Reseach Operations Manager, BTRC

May 2020

By Denise Bebenek • 03 May, 2020
Learn about the Meagan's Walk Virtual Hug on May 9 in the newsletter.

February 2020

By Denise Bebenek • 28 Apr, 2020
Brandon's journey began January 9th, 2008, my day of diagnosis, and can be summed up in one phrase, “learning how to walk again.” Due to the location of my tumour, coordination and walking were my most prominent symptoms. Before my diagnosis, my quality of life had declined so drastically that I began to think my parents did not love me anymore. So much so, that when I was diagnosed, I remember feeling relief that a lot of the things I was going through were not my fault.

December 2019

By Denise Bebenek • 22 Jan, 2020
Together, over the past 18 years, we’ve raised more than $5.7 million to support paediatric brain tumour research and treatment — a powerful achievement! This success is due to you.There is more to accomplish in 2020, and to do that, we need your help to cover our operating costs.

Summer 2019

By Denise Bebenek • 07 Nov, 2019
Summer is finally here with steamy heat and thunderstorms. Yet the cool morning of the 18th Annual Meagan’s Walk and Hug is only a short while ago. Your support and presence reflect my first vision of Meagan’s Walk: a hug that would draw in people from all walks of life, with diverse talents and ages, from near and far. Many of us return year after year, joining hands in our circle of hope. Determined to continue making a difference. Always, new Meagan’s Walk family are welcomed. Sometimes we have no choice regarding what is happening in our lives. Though many participate in Meagan’s Walk with heavy burdens, we put a halt to the distractions of the outside world, and that is a choice we make: to be present and with each other. We walk side by side, and we can only move forward to make a difference. Thank you for your steadfast support and generous spirit. I hope that summertime brings some relaxation and change of pace. And I look forward to seeing you in 2020 at the next Meagan’s Walk and Hug. Together we are stronger. Together we HUG! View the newsletter here

May 2019 

By Denise Bebenek • 02 May, 2019
Many volunteers work tirelessly throughout the year helping to further the cause of Meagan's Walk, and planning for the upcoming Walk and Hug event.Approximately 200 volunteers, wearing Hug Team shirts, show up, rain or shine, on Walk day, to help ensure the event is successful, safe, and welcoming for all. Meagan’s Walk and Hug is truly a community effort- together we are stronger! Let's all support, salute and thank our volunteers. I look forward to seeing you at the 18th Annual Meagan’s Walk and Hug, on Saturday, May 11th. Together We Hug! View the newsletter here
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