1 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 1: I mean you're literally curing kids cancer. Yes, yes, I know. 2 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:10,400 Speaker 1: It gives me goose bumps when I talk about it, 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: because I sat at my kitchen table thinking if I 4 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: could just save one child like Killian, if I could 5 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 1: just save one child, I would be happy. And now 6 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 1: I know that we've managed to save hundreds of children, 7 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: and we've given them back to their parents when they've 8 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: been told there's no hope. I mean that to me 9 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 1: is you know, if if if I joined Killian tomorrow 10 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: and I get to see my angel again, it will 11 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: all be worth it. Another log on the fire here 12 00:00:54,080 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: give a time. Welcome to the fire pit with Matt Janella. 13 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 1: Kids cancer two words that should never exist in the 14 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: same sentence, and yet after accidents, cancer is the second 15 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: leading cause of death and children ages one to fourteen. 16 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:26,960 Speaker 1: According to the American Cancer Society, about ten thousand children 17 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:33,119 Speaker 1: will be diagnosed with cancer. In of those diagnosed will 18 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: live five years or more. In the seventies, the five 19 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: year survival rate was fifty eight percent. So yes, there 20 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: is significant progress, and that in large part is because 21 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: of individuals like gran Owen you heard in the intro, 22 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: who's doing everything in her power to raise money and 23 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: then connect those resources to the right doctors, scientists, and 24 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: family who are on the front lines of the fight. 25 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: In this podcast, you'll hear a lot more about Grania Owen. 26 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: You'll meet Clay, her loyal and loving husband. You'll hear 27 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 1: from one of the leading pediatric oncologists, and you'll hear 28 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 1: the story of the first pediatric patient in the world 29 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: to receive cart Sell therapy, Emily Whitehead, is now ten 30 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: years cancer free. Is this a golf story, Not really, 31 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:29,959 Speaker 1: although golf and golfers have played a big part in 32 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: the raising of the funds being used to help cure 33 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:37,359 Speaker 1: Kids Cancer. You'll hear from a PGA Tour player who 34 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: has the Curing Kids Cancer logo on his bag, and 35 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: you'll hear from a major sports personality who has spent 36 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: over fifteen years doing everything he can to help this cause. 37 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: This all started for me because I received a direct 38 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: message from a long time Twitter follower and now friend, 39 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: Scott Ford, a k a AT fan of Rocky Top, 40 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:00,800 Speaker 1: who was reaching out and asking if I'd be interested 41 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: in playing in a golf tournament in October. The benefiting 42 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: charity was Crying Kids Cancer and if I was interested, 43 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: he'd put me in contact with the executive team. Well, 44 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: I have kids, but you don't need to be a 45 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: parent to want to help any cause. That's soul focus 46 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: is to cure kids cancer. And after meeting and talking 47 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: to Grania and Clay Owen and listening to their heartbreaking 48 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: and yet also incredibly inspiring story, I decided to interview 49 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: them for this podcast. It's worth noting that I wouldn't 50 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: be doing this without the support of companies like Link Soul, 51 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: Dormy Workshop, and Part Points. The fire Pit podcast is 52 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: produced by Alex Upeggy and the music is by Joe Horrowitz. 53 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: Before we get started, a special thank you to the 54 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: Owen family, not only for what they're doing for the 55 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: greater good, but for their willingness to share their emotional 56 00:03:56,640 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: story with us. I warn you it's a sad story, 57 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: but I can also promise an uplifting, an incredibly inspiring ending. Okay, Well, 58 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: I am Granya Owen and Um. I have four boys, 59 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: so first and foremost, I'm a mom. Um. I was 60 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 1: born in England, moved here about twenty five years ago 61 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 1: to the States, lived in Atlanta for a long time, 62 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 1: and moved to Dallas about four years ago. Um, but 63 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 1: I used to work for the London Stock Exchange when 64 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: I lived in England, and I couldn't have imagined my 65 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:43,160 Speaker 1: life going in a more different direction than to end 66 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 1: up running a charity. And that is exactly what has happened. 67 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: So my life has changed dramatically from what I had planned, 68 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: or thought, or ever imagined it would be. But then 69 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:04,119 Speaker 1: that's kind of what happens in life, isn't it. It 70 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 1: was December, and um, I have to I have to 71 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 1: tell you a little, a little story first, and that 72 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: is that we were at our next door neighbor's house 73 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:21,040 Speaker 1: with our four boys, and at that point the youngest 74 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: was two and the oldest was seven, and the twins 75 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:27,159 Speaker 1: were five. Um, so they were all running around like 76 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 1: lunatics in my next door neighbor's garage because it was raining. 77 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 1: It was supposed to be a birthday party, but they 78 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 1: all ended up in her garage because it was raining. 79 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: And this lady standing next to me looked at me 80 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:42,280 Speaker 1: and said, are they all yours? And I said, well, yeah, 81 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 1: these four are. And she said, oh, well, God bless you, 82 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:48,599 Speaker 1: and I very nonchalantly turned to her and said, I 83 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:53,159 Speaker 1: think he already has. And it was about three days 84 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:56,479 Speaker 1: later that Karen came home from school with a stomach 85 00:05:56,480 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 1: ache and a fever, and Um, I took him to 86 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:04,280 Speaker 1: the doctor. They thought it was a virus, so we 87 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 1: waited a couple of days and I took him to 88 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: the doctor and they did a blood test, and that 89 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:15,599 Speaker 1: was when we discovered that he had leukemia. And what 90 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:20,360 Speaker 1: had seemed like a very throwaway comments suddenly, you know, 91 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:26,280 Speaker 1: became something much more significant. I was like, well, I 92 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 1: did think I was blessed, but now I'm not sure 93 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,840 Speaker 1: what to think because our whole world just stopped and 94 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 1: went completely upside down. Leukemia, which are cancers of the bone, marrow, 95 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:41,359 Speaker 1: and blood, are the most common childhood cancers. They account 96 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 1: for about of all cancers in children. Hey, Matt Cleo 97 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:49,679 Speaker 1: in here, I'm a co founder of Curing Kids Cancer, 98 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: and I really glad to be with you today. UM 99 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 1: I M done a lot of things over my career, 100 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: all in communications, however, former former newspaper guy, former TV guy, 101 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,599 Speaker 1: eight years at CNN and ended up working at A 102 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: T and T through a series of acquisitions starting with 103 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: Bell South that singular than a T and T all 104 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: in the communications field. And you know, I just found 105 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: myself in the middle of this whole childhood catcher thing. 106 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: Is a dad who went to work one day and 107 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: got a phone call. It was in the middle of 108 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: a y two k exercise because everybody thought the world 109 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: was going to come to an end. So where we 110 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 1: were at bell South practicing make sure all our systems 111 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: were gonna work for the clock changing over. On December 112 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 1: thirty one to January one, two thousand and I got 113 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:51,880 Speaker 1: a phone call and it was gone, Yes, she said, 114 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: You've got to get to the hospital. I'm like, what 115 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: are you talking about, UM, she's a killion sick. I 116 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: don't like, Oh my gosh, what isn't She said, well, 117 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: we don't know, but they think it might be cancer. UM. 118 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: And of course took off out of work immediately and 119 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: mcbrin over at Children's Health Care about latter. For boys 120 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: with lukmia, the treatment takes three and a half years 121 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 1: and for girls it's two and a half years. UM 122 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 1: and so we started on his treatment, going three times 123 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: a week to the hospital Monday, Wednesday, Friday. I had 124 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 1: my two year old, another five year old and a 125 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: seven year old UM and basically the whole community UM 126 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: really gathered around us and helped us. Our church family 127 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 1: cooked his meals, they did our washing, they kept my boys. Um. 128 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 1: And it was just, you know, a totally different world. Um. 129 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 1: And we were told that um, you know, leukemia and 130 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:07,720 Speaker 1: the type of leukemia that he had was very curable. Um. 131 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 1: And so you know, we were we were hopeful that 132 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: everything was going to be okay eventually. UM. But it 133 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 1: was hard. It was very hard on him, and of 134 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: course we were just devastated. But you know, we were 135 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 1: given you know, pretty good news on the day that said, 136 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 1: it's likely to be the most common form of leukemia 137 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 1: we cure. You know, at that point they were curing 138 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 1: like eight to nine percent of cases. So we felt 139 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,439 Speaker 1: pretty good about things at that point. But that's kind 140 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:41,560 Speaker 1: of how it all started. A call at work and 141 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,560 Speaker 1: a trip to the hospital. The next thing, you knew, 142 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:50,440 Speaker 1: the next four years or so, we're completely consumed by 143 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: battling this terrible disease. Tell me about killing Oh gosh, okay, 144 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: well hang gonn, I'll show you a picture Ellen. That's him. 145 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: And he was a little monkey he Um. He was 146 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:11,079 Speaker 1: one of those kids who like, if there was something 147 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: that could go wrong, it would go wrong. So like 148 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:16,680 Speaker 1: he was always the one that got into trouble and 149 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 1: because there were twins, like I'd be I would walk 150 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 1: out of the room and like two seconds later, I 151 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:28,440 Speaker 1: would hear this little voice going, oh, and I knew 152 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:32,199 Speaker 1: the minute I heard that that something bad. It happened 153 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 1: the minute I turned my back. And it was always 154 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: Kellyan right in the middle of it. I mean, if 155 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: there was a if there was a stream, he would 156 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 1: fall in it. If there was a mud puddle, he 157 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: would step in it. I mean it was he was 158 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 1: one of those kids. But he had the best sense 159 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:53,079 Speaker 1: of humor. I mean he was He was just a joy. 160 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 1: He really was. He was a ball of fire. I'll 161 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 1: tell you that. It's so different from his other brothers 162 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: who had darker hair and uh killian head blonde hair 163 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:08,679 Speaker 1: and killian head. Green said. He was just everywhere all 164 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 1: at once. Uh just the first to join in a party, 165 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: the first to you know, raise his hand, to volunteer 166 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:21,320 Speaker 1: to do anything, love playing with his level of playing 167 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 1: with his friends. And he loves sports. I mean, he 168 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: absolutely loves sports. Uh was you know on the baseball team, 169 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 1: on the basketball team played ball headed um very inspirational 170 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 1: to see him out there Um, I remember one time 171 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:43,120 Speaker 1: on the swim team, he actually he actually cried because, 172 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:47,040 Speaker 1: uh he came in second and he had just finished chemo. 173 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:49,680 Speaker 1: That so, I mean, that's not a kid he was. 174 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 1: He just like he just wanted to be an ordinary kid. 175 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 1: Very competitive, but just just a very loving kid. Love 176 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: to tell jokes. Uh you know, it's just what do 177 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:06,200 Speaker 1: you call a cow with no legs? Ground beef? So 178 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: that was one of his favorites, you know. So he uh, 179 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:11,560 Speaker 1: he was just that. It was just a joy to 180 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 1: be around. He really was. Again. When diagnosed with leukemia December, 181 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: Killian was a month shy of his sixth birthday. There 182 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 1: were a lot of hard moments. But when we brought 183 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:31,680 Speaker 1: him home after his initial diagnosis, the doctors, you know, 184 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: put him on chemotherapy and uh, you know, we we 185 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: didn't know much of anything, and because he was so young, 186 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 1: they actually put him on a lot of liquid medicines, which, 187 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 1: as you're gonna imagine, just tasted horrible. And he would 188 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:50,120 Speaker 1: just fight tooth and nail. He did not want to 189 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 1: take that medicine. It's just it was a battle night 190 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 1: after night. And this was before you know, the internet 191 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:00,719 Speaker 1: was what it is today. So that wasn't like they 192 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:04,600 Speaker 1: were like a bunch of parental groups on there that 193 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:06,680 Speaker 1: you could turn to for advice. You just had to 194 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 1: call up people and and talk to them about what worked. 195 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 1: And finally we found out, you know, you could get 196 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 1: him to take a pill, and you could go to 197 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 1: the pharmacy and get actual empty capsules and put the 198 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 1: medicine inside the capsule. And so that was a huge 199 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:25,200 Speaker 1: win for us because I didn't think we were going 200 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: to get the medicine in him. I honestly was worried 201 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 1: that he was going to get high enough dose because 202 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:35,360 Speaker 1: he was fighting and spitting it out and in tears, 203 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 1: and we were in tears trying to give him medication 204 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 1: night after night. So it was a it was a 205 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:43,560 Speaker 1: big win for us to build to reach that point 206 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:45,720 Speaker 1: where hey, we can put the stuffs on a capsule 207 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:47,920 Speaker 1: and he said, I'll swallow a pill. I'll learn how 208 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 1: to swallow a pill that and he did and that 209 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 1: made life a lot better. So he went into remission um. 210 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 1: You know, you have to get them into remission I 211 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 1: think within the first thirty days, and we got him 212 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: in remission um and that you know, remission doesn't mean 213 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 1: beating cancer. A lot of people think, oh, thank god intermission. Well, 214 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,560 Speaker 1: that just means the medicine is working basically right, and 215 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 1: it still means that he's going to have another three 216 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 1: years of treatment, even after recent remission. UM. So you know, 217 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: so we we carried on with that and uh, but 218 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 1: we did, you know, get him through that first pretty 219 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 1: much through that first round of of chemo, and things 220 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: were looking so great, and you know, we started planning 221 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 1: his recovery party. And the treatment is really awful for 222 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 1: children because it wasn't designed for them. UM. But we 223 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: got almost all the way through his treatment and we 224 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 1: only had six months to go, and he was supposed 225 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 1: to finish treatment on um St Patrick's Day, and so 226 00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: being irish, I thought, oh, well that's a good omen um. 227 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: But um, with six months to go, we went for 228 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: a routine blood test and discovered that the leukemia had 229 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:12,160 Speaker 1: come back worse than ever. UM. And so now our 230 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:18,200 Speaker 1: next option instead of just chemo, was a bone marrow transplant. 231 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 1: It's not like the way they portray it in the 232 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:25,480 Speaker 1: movies where a child gets leukemia and they say, oh, yes, 233 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 1: a bone martor transplant. That's not what happens. It's usually 234 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: you know, chemo first, and then if that fails, then 235 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:34,840 Speaker 1: you have to go for a bone mirow transplant. Because 236 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: a bone miro transplant is horrific because they kill off 237 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: your entire immune system in order to put the new 238 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 1: bone marrow in, and it involves radiation, and it's just 239 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 1: awful for a child, and they have to be in 240 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:54,520 Speaker 1: isolation because they have no immune system and so they 241 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: can't die if they get so much as a cold. 242 00:15:57,480 --> 00:15:59,480 Speaker 1: Let me just relay a little bit about how how 243 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: horrible it is for the kids they go through, you know, nauseam. 244 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 1: They developed mouth sores because the chemo is so powerful. 245 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: Um yeah, you know it affects soft tissues, uh and 246 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: and makes them like you have terrible ulcers and so 247 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 1: and there's this's almost a cruel joke because one of 248 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 1: the medicine's, pregnizone, makes you really hungry, and then the kids, 249 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: you know, have these terrible mouth soorce and they can't eat. Um. 250 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 1: You know. Yeah. I always say that losing your hair 251 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: is the easiest bet you always you can always buy 252 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 1: a hat. It's all the other effects that are so 253 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 1: terrible to watch them go through. I had to go 254 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 1: through this again. With the with the bone marrow transplant 255 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 1: to get his immune system uh to a point where 256 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: they could give the bone marrow to him. And we 257 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:57,560 Speaker 1: were extremely fortunate and that his twin brother, Garrett. It 258 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:01,640 Speaker 1: was a perfect match, although because they were not identical, 259 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:03,840 Speaker 1: there was no more chance of him being a match 260 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 1: than a regular sibling. But if they hadn't been identical, 261 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:11,679 Speaker 1: then they would have both had leukemia. So it was 262 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:17,240 Speaker 1: one of those weird situations. But Killian went through the transplant. 263 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:19,879 Speaker 1: And the magic number for bone maritis plants is a 264 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:22,359 Speaker 1: hundred days post transplants, so if you can get to 265 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:26,399 Speaker 1: that point, then they say it's been successful. We did it. 266 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:29,880 Speaker 1: He did it. He got through that bone marrow transplant. 267 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,880 Speaker 1: It was extremely tough on his body, and he got 268 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 1: out and he responded beautifully to it. And you have 269 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 1: to get to a hundred days post transplant for it 270 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:43,480 Speaker 1: to be considered a success. And we were in there 271 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:47,920 Speaker 1: at ninety days having another routine blood test when they 272 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,199 Speaker 1: called the society, so we need to talk to you. 273 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:55,879 Speaker 1: And at that point the doctors took us into a 274 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:59,040 Speaker 1: room and they said, we're really sorry, but he's had 275 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: all the treatment he can have and you need to 276 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: go and make some memories. And I was like, well, what, like, 277 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,639 Speaker 1: there's nothing else you can do, and they were like, well, no, 278 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:15,240 Speaker 1: he's had all the chemo and radiation and bone marrow transplantment, 279 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:19,480 Speaker 1: nothing has worked, so we're out of options. And they 280 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:23,440 Speaker 1: told us that he had relapsed again and that we 281 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: should go make some memories because there was no cure 282 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 1: at that point for him. And we did. We went 283 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 1: and made memories. We went to Disney. We had an 284 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 1: amazing trip with him where he was still healthy enough 285 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 1: to enjoy it with his brothers and his cousins and 286 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:46,280 Speaker 1: an extended family. But it was very hard for Granding 287 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:50,320 Speaker 1: You and I because of course we were we were 288 00:18:50,359 --> 00:18:53,679 Speaker 1: trying to remain happy and positive and pretend this was 289 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:58,040 Speaker 1: a you know, a trip to celebrate him cure, being 290 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:00,719 Speaker 1: cured of cancer, when in fact it was a you know, 291 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 1: our last memory trip for us. We went to Disney World. 292 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:08,680 Speaker 1: We went on a trip to Disney World with the family, 293 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:11,360 Speaker 1: and that was one of the hardest things I've ever 294 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,719 Speaker 1: done in my life because we told the boys we 295 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 1: were celebrating Kellyan, you know, getting through his bone mat 296 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 1: of transplant, and an actual fact we knew we were 297 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:26,239 Speaker 1: going because he was dying, and um, we had to 298 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:31,640 Speaker 1: smile and pretend that everything was great, and that was 299 00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:35,920 Speaker 1: so hard. While we were there, I was doing some 300 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:39,119 Speaker 1: research because I wasn't ready to give up, and I 301 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:42,720 Speaker 1: discovered an article about a brand new type of treatment 302 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 1: called a targeted therapy, which is designed specifically for chemo 303 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 1: resistant leukemia, which is obviously what Kellyan had. And um, 304 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 1: the way it worked was it was attracted to the 305 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:03,159 Speaker 1: proteins that were on the outside of only the cancer cells, 306 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:08,439 Speaker 1: not on regular cells. And this protein in particular was 307 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:14,119 Speaker 1: c D twenty two and UM, I knew that Killian 308 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 1: was c D twenty two positive just from all the 309 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: tests and things that he had to have. And I 310 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:23,120 Speaker 1: went to our doctor and I said, okay, so I've 311 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:26,640 Speaker 1: discovered you know, there is this treatment and he said yeah, 312 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,200 Speaker 1: And I said, so give it to Killian And he said, well, 313 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:34,240 Speaker 1: we can't because it's not actually in treatment. It's still experimental, 314 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:37,880 Speaker 1: and um, you would have to get special permission from 315 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,159 Speaker 1: the f d. A. Well you never say that to 316 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:46,920 Speaker 1: a redhead, um, because that was a challenge. And I 317 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: was like, okay. When we got back from Disney and 318 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:54,760 Speaker 1: GRANDI you know. She was just a warrior. She was 319 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:59,000 Speaker 1: not ready to give up. Despite the fact that doctors 320 00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:02,640 Speaker 1: had said this was, you know, the end for for treatment. 321 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 1: She discovered a treatment that had was in was in 322 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 1: the labs and had not been cleared by the FDA 323 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 1: for children. I had noticed that one of the doctors 324 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:22,160 Speaker 1: who was working on this new type of treatment had 325 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 1: an Irish name, and so I knew an Irish professor 326 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:33,520 Speaker 1: of microbiology at Trinity College, Dublin, and I called him 327 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 1: and I said, Okay, I know this is a billion 328 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:38,399 Speaker 1: to one shot, but do you know this doctor who's 329 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: working on this new drug? And he said, Grania. Not 330 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:43,639 Speaker 1: only do I know him, he used to be one 331 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 1: of my students. So I was like, okay, miracle, this 332 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:51,399 Speaker 1: is it, this is supposed to be. That is just 333 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: too much of a what I call a God studence. 334 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:57,639 Speaker 1: I don't believe in coincidences. I believe in God studiences. 335 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,640 Speaker 1: And I was able to get touch with him, and 336 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,119 Speaker 1: um he put me in touch with the pediatric oncologist 337 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 1: at the National Cancer Institute who was had been trying 338 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 1: to get this drug into a clinical trial for three 339 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 1: and a half years. And Cillian was the perfect candidate 340 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: because he had that protein on the outside of his 341 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:22,240 Speaker 1: cancer cells. He had been through every treatment that was available, 342 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:25,560 Speaker 1: and so he said, yes, I'll try and get you 343 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 1: special permission from the FDA. We bought a fax machine 344 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:33,199 Speaker 1: because at that point that was where the technology was, 345 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: and we faxed this doctor every document we could possibly 346 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:42,119 Speaker 1: lay our hands on to do with Killian, and within 347 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 1: a week he had got special permission from the FDA 348 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:46,840 Speaker 1: for Killian to be the first child in the world 349 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:51,000 Speaker 1: to try this new treatment. We got up to UM Washington, 350 00:22:51,119 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: d C. Went to Bethesda where the National Cancer Institute is, 351 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:58,280 Speaker 1: and Killian was the first child in the world to 352 00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:02,040 Speaker 1: get this treatment. And remember them taking us aside and saying, 353 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:04,919 Speaker 1: we're going to have to do this in the I 354 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:07,600 Speaker 1: c U because we don't know what's going to happen. 355 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 1: It could kill him. And they were like, do you 356 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:12,439 Speaker 1: still want to do this? And I looked at them 357 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:15,640 Speaker 1: and I said, Um, you know he's dying anyway, right 358 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 1: And they were like yes, I said, so let's do it. 359 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:26,000 Speaker 1: Doesn't They were like okay, so um. When they gave 360 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:28,840 Speaker 1: him the drug, there was about twenty doctors in the 361 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:33,320 Speaker 1: room and forty nurses and it were. Killian was fast asleep, 362 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 1: thank god, because he would have freaked out if he'd 363 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:40,480 Speaker 1: seen all these doctors and nurses. And unfortunately, because he 364 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:42,919 Speaker 1: was the first child in the world to try this drug, 365 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:46,200 Speaker 1: they would have needed to give him twice the dose 366 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:49,040 Speaker 1: that they were allowed to give him by the FDA. 367 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:52,440 Speaker 1: But the doctor took us aside and said, there is 368 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:56,160 Speaker 1: a second generation of this drug in the lab, and 369 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 1: we've tested it on Killian's cancer cells and it would 370 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 1: be eleven times more effective than this one that we're 371 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:05,080 Speaker 1: giving him right now. And I said, great, give it 372 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:07,760 Speaker 1: to him, and he said, Grania, I can't. We don't 373 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaker 1: have the money to get it out of the lab 374 00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:14,760 Speaker 1: and into treatment. And at the time, Claim and I 375 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 1: looked at each other and looked at him and we 376 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 1: were like, why is he telling us about something that 377 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:21,959 Speaker 1: could say about our's life, but we can't give it 378 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:27,440 Speaker 1: to him. It was July two th three, Killy and Owen, 379 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:30,960 Speaker 1: who was nine at the time, had been fighting cancer 380 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:34,600 Speaker 1: for almost half his life. So we lost Killian several 381 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 1: weeks later. But you know, the doctors told us while 382 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:42,840 Speaker 1: we were there about another drug that was stuck in 383 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:46,239 Speaker 1: the lab that may have been more effective and may 384 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 1: have been able to cure killing. And the reason they 385 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:52,640 Speaker 1: said they couldn't get it to the bedside was lack 386 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:58,320 Speaker 1: of funding. So it's a bit of a red flag 387 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:05,000 Speaker 1: foot ball h telling my wife that. So about a 388 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:09,320 Speaker 1: year later, she decided she was going to start up 389 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 1: a charity or just raise mine. At that point, she 390 00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:14,679 Speaker 1: just wanted to raise money for childhood cancer, so she 391 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 1: started thinking about how to do that and created during 392 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 1: Kids Cancer. It was coming up to his first anniversary, 393 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 1: and I was sitting with the other three boys, and 394 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:27,040 Speaker 1: I was trying to explain to them that we shouldn't 395 00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 1: be sad and upset because Kellyan was an angel and 396 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:34,560 Speaker 1: God had him and he was healthy and happy and 397 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:36,960 Speaker 1: God was looking after him better than we ever could, 398 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:41,919 Speaker 1: even though it wasn't what we wanted to happen. And 399 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:48,239 Speaker 1: I suddenly remembered that drug and the fact that it 400 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:50,240 Speaker 1: was stuck in the lab and that it could actually 401 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:53,359 Speaker 1: save other children's lives and stop other families from having 402 00:25:53,359 --> 00:25:57,359 Speaker 1: to go through what we went through. And I just knew, 403 00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 1: absolutely kind of right here that that was why he 404 00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:03,640 Speaker 1: had told us, and that was what I was meant 405 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:06,639 Speaker 1: to do. I knew that somehow or another, I was 406 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:08,440 Speaker 1: going to make sure that that drug got out of 407 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:10,320 Speaker 1: the lab and into treatment, and it was going to 408 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 1: help other families and not I need that, but I 409 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 1: knew there must be other drugs like that too. The 410 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: original idea around this was to work with coaches. I 411 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:26,440 Speaker 1: told you how much Killian loved playing sports, and baseball 412 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 1: was one of them. And the one of his baseball 413 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:35,679 Speaker 1: coaches actually had an idea. He said, at the end 414 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 1: of the season, he told all the moms, he said, 415 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 1: do not buy me a gift. He said, let's just 416 00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:45,640 Speaker 1: collect the money and let's give it. I'm sorry, Let's 417 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:48,720 Speaker 1: give it the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, who are killing illustrated, 418 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:52,720 Speaker 1: and let's do some good with this money. So we thought, 419 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 1: what a great idea there. You know, hundreds and hundreds 420 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 1: of thousands and millions of kids all over the country 421 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:03,639 Speaker 1: playing sports, and why what you know, do these kids 422 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:07,920 Speaker 1: really do these coaches need another Starbucks gift card, they 423 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:13,199 Speaker 1: need another T shirt or anything like that give card? No, 424 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 1: Why why don't we just convince parents to give their 425 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 1: money to curing kids cancer. I've never seen so many 426 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:22,399 Speaker 1: grown men cries. I did that first season when we 427 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:25,840 Speaker 1: started raising money that way, UM and I used to 428 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 1: go around to baseball fields and you know, go to 429 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:32,560 Speaker 1: the presentations to the coaches, and UM, we give them 430 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:35,399 Speaker 1: the certificate and the T shirt and they just loved it. 431 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:39,879 Speaker 1: So I thought maybe we would raise five thousand dollars 432 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:42,920 Speaker 1: that first season, and we ended up raising forty five 433 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:47,399 Speaker 1: thousand dollars, and so we knew it was a good idea. 434 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 1: It was that love of sports and that that coaches 435 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:54,560 Speaker 1: gift that really got a got us off the ground 436 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:58,240 Speaker 1: and gave us a way to start raising some money 437 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 1: for childhood cancer research goes. We did not want to 438 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 1: see other children go through like Killian had gone through. 439 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:13,199 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's just the most devastating thing to 440 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:17,240 Speaker 1: lose a child, but just going through the process of 441 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:22,399 Speaker 1: watching your child fight cancer and the years that it takes, 442 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:26,119 Speaker 1: you know, and the isolation and the mouth source and 443 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:29,080 Speaker 1: all the horrible treatment that they have to go through. 444 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:31,800 Speaker 1: We didn't want other kids to have to go through that. 445 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:34,480 Speaker 1: We didn't want other families to have to go through that. 446 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:38,480 Speaker 1: We wanted to fund research that would find better cures, 447 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 1: more effective cures, pewer side effects. And I soon realized 448 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:47,880 Speaker 1: that if I wanted it to go to the research 449 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 1: that I knew it needed to go to, I was 450 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:53,480 Speaker 1: going to have to do it myself. I couldn't just 451 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:56,760 Speaker 1: hand the money over to somebody else. I had to 452 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:59,000 Speaker 1: make sure it went where I wanted it to go. 453 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 1: And so the only way I could do that was 454 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:05,440 Speaker 1: to start my own charity. So officially we became a 455 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:11,000 Speaker 1: charity in two thousand and five and m basically since 456 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:15,720 Speaker 1: then we have partnered with many, many amazing people and 457 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:20,120 Speaker 1: doctors and hospitals and donors, and we have raised over 458 00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 1: twenty three million dollars. As for the doctor who mentioned 459 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:27,040 Speaker 1: to the Owens the alternate drug stuck in the system 460 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:30,600 Speaker 1: and in need of financial support. To this day, that 461 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: doctor is. He is now the chairman of our Medical 462 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,800 Speaker 1: Advisory Board. He was the head of pediatric gun coology 463 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:41,200 Speaker 1: at the National Cancer Institute. He's now at Children's Hospital 464 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:45,840 Speaker 1: Los Angeles and he heads that cancer clinic up there 465 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 1: um And he says he doesn't know why he told 466 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:53,880 Speaker 1: me he would never normally do that. What's his name? 467 00:29:55,120 --> 00:30:01,200 Speaker 1: His name is Dr Alan Wayne, and he and leegh Hellman, 468 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:05,440 Speaker 1: who was also had a pediatric and collegiate International cancer 469 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: Institute are my two chairman of my medical advisory board. 470 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:16,200 Speaker 1: Where does Dr grub come in all this? Dr Grapp Okay, well, um, 471 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 1: he was a few years down the line. I was reading. 472 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:23,360 Speaker 1: I always try and read about, you know, what's the 473 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: latest research and what's what's working what isn't because I 474 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 1: feel like I need to know that in order to 475 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:33,240 Speaker 1: ask people to give me money, because I need to 476 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:35,640 Speaker 1: know where it's going that it's going to make a difference. 477 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 1: And um, I read about Dr grab and one of 478 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:45,400 Speaker 1: my other doctors told me about him too, and I 479 00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 1: did some research on the work he was doing and 480 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:52,760 Speaker 1: discovered that he'd had a massive, like percentage success rate 481 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 1: with the children that he had treated with this new 482 00:30:56,960 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 1: treatment called car T cell therapy. I itically and another 483 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 1: one of my good sidences. Cart cell therapy wouldn't exist 484 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:10,479 Speaker 1: if there hadn't been that first targeted therapy that Killian 485 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:14,880 Speaker 1: pioneered because it works on the same principle in the 486 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:20,400 Speaker 1: attaches itself to the proteins that are only on the 487 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 1: outside of the leukemia cells, not on the healthy cells. 488 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 1: And um, in Killian's case, at that point, it released 489 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:32,680 Speaker 1: a toxin that was supposed to kill the cancer cell. Now, 490 00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:36,840 Speaker 1: what they do is they take your own T cells 491 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:41,719 Speaker 1: from your body. Um, they genetically re engineer them in 492 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 1: the lab so that they recognize those proteins that are 493 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:48,600 Speaker 1: only on the cancer cells, not the healthy cells. They 494 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:52,200 Speaker 1: put the re engineered cells back into the child. They 495 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:56,840 Speaker 1: don't then need chemo or radiation because their own immune system, 496 00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:02,280 Speaker 1: their T cells will recognize the cancer cells and them. Uh, 497 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:05,200 Speaker 1: good morning, Dr. Grew up. How are you very well? 498 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:09,560 Speaker 1: Thank you for thank you for taking this time. Sure, 499 00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:12,840 Speaker 1: what's your sense and perspective of of how you how 500 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:17,120 Speaker 1: you fit into this into this narrative. I'm a physician 501 00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:20,400 Speaker 1: at Children's Hospital Philadelphia that runs the self therapy and 502 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:24,480 Speaker 1: transplant service and an expert in a particular kind of 503 00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:29,040 Speaker 1: self therapy called cart and UH, curing kids cancer has 504 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:34,280 Speaker 1: been uh incredibly instrumental in the work that we do 505 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:39,680 Speaker 1: research wise to get new self therapies delivered to kids 506 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:43,360 Speaker 1: with cancer. Uh and so, UM, you know, we can 507 00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:45,320 Speaker 1: get into a lot of details, but the bottom line 508 00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:49,560 Speaker 1: is that, uh, we're moving closer and closer to more 509 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:53,800 Speaker 1: therapies that are available for kids with leukemia, lymphoma, and 510 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:57,320 Speaker 1: similar diseases. And this is an area where Curing Kids 511 00:32:57,320 --> 00:33:00,719 Speaker 1: Cancer has been incredibly helpful to us, and that that 512 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 1: really comes comes down to awareness and funding. Uh yes, 513 00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:08,520 Speaker 1: both of those things, but absolutely funding has been a 514 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:10,720 Speaker 1: huge part of it. So Gran you Owen has been 515 00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:14,040 Speaker 1: an incredible supporter of our work and the group and 516 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:20,240 Speaker 1: Curing Kids Cancer and uh um so uh including uh 517 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 1: uh money that has supported clinical trials that we were 518 00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 1: just waiting to open and needed support forward to be 519 00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:30,480 Speaker 1: able to do that. Um. So uh yeah, they're they're 520 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:33,480 Speaker 1: an amazing group of people. Talk to me more about 521 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:36,760 Speaker 1: the Owen family and and and you'r how you got 522 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:40,320 Speaker 1: to know them and uh and and what's so inspiring 523 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:44,560 Speaker 1: about them? Well, I mean, uh grind you reached out, 524 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:49,400 Speaker 1: um kind of out of the blue and it was 525 00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:54,680 Speaker 1: an amazing you know, sort of Christmas season um conversation 526 00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:59,880 Speaker 1: that resulted in one of the first uh grants that 527 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 1: we got from the organization. And I learned a little 528 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:07,400 Speaker 1: bit about her son's story and actually there was a 529 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:09,600 Speaker 1: connection that we made not only around the fact that 530 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:13,200 Speaker 1: I was working on pediatric sell therapy and had treated 531 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:18,000 Speaker 1: the first child with leukemia with a sell therapy um, 532 00:34:18,040 --> 00:34:20,920 Speaker 1: but that the I don't want to get too technical 533 00:34:20,960 --> 00:34:23,920 Speaker 1: about this, but the target that we were exploring as 534 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:27,040 Speaker 1: sort of a second line in this sell therapy was 535 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:31,120 Speaker 1: something that was initially pioneered in her own son's treatment. 536 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:35,120 Speaker 1: And so that new target it has a name. That 537 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:38,080 Speaker 1: name is CD twenty two. It doesn't matter, but uh, 538 00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:41,360 Speaker 1: it was something that had started its life as a 539 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:45,040 Speaker 1: potential treatment way back before self therapy and at the 540 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:47,560 Speaker 1: time that her child was being treated and then has 541 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,960 Speaker 1: come full circle into self therapy and being something that 542 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:55,360 Speaker 1: we've treated a number of kids with successfully. So safe 543 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:58,839 Speaker 1: to say her motivation was obviously, I want to make 544 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:04,360 Speaker 1: sure it happened in my son's case where it's affordability 545 00:35:04,440 --> 00:35:10,360 Speaker 1: or access issues, um, doesn't happen to other kids going forward. 546 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:14,200 Speaker 1: That seems to That's my general understanding of of it. 547 00:35:14,239 --> 00:35:17,719 Speaker 1: Was like her motivation was, I want to try to 548 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:21,799 Speaker 1: help other families, other kids going forward. Correct, no doubt 549 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:24,080 Speaker 1: about that. And and you know, I think you raise 550 00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:27,360 Speaker 1: an interesting point, which is affordability and access or a 551 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:30,520 Speaker 1: key part of this equation, and happy to talk about that. 552 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 1: But then the step before affordability access is creation. You 553 00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:37,400 Speaker 1: have to make these new therapies and you have to 554 00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 1: apply them to kids, which is often very hard to 555 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:41,799 Speaker 1: do in the medical market the way it exists right 556 00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:44,640 Speaker 1: now because kids are a smaller market than adults UM 557 00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:49,880 Speaker 1: and so uh, it's really important to have the support 558 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:53,319 Speaker 1: um of foundations like you're in kids cancer to sort 559 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:55,160 Speaker 1: of get the ball rolling and to get the data 560 00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:59,120 Speaker 1: together that gets the drug companies interested in these newer 561 00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:02,680 Speaker 1: treatments UM and then you know once you have something 562 00:36:02,719 --> 00:36:06,120 Speaker 1: FDA approved, and the first fd approved sell therapy in 563 00:36:06,160 --> 00:36:09,239 Speaker 1: the in the world was kim Riya, which was the 564 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:12,080 Speaker 1: treatment that we used for our first patient, Emily Whitehead 565 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:15,600 Speaker 1: UM that then you get into the access issues, right 566 00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:18,960 Speaker 1: It's it's an expensive therapy. It's offered at centers of excellence. 567 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:20,600 Speaker 1: You have to be able to get the patients there. 568 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:23,600 Speaker 1: And that's another area where we've gotten help from Foundations, 569 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:26,000 Speaker 1: and Curing kids cancer is among them. Where we're able 570 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:29,600 Speaker 1: to bring families in, pay for their hotel stay while 571 00:36:29,600 --> 00:36:34,040 Speaker 1: they're in the Philadelphia area, pay for their travel to US, 572 00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:36,720 Speaker 1: and to just sort of deal with these access issues 573 00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:39,520 Speaker 1: by helping the families and making it possible to even 574 00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:44,040 Speaker 1: get here. They have had a nineties seven percent success 575 00:36:44,160 --> 00:36:47,880 Speaker 1: rate with this treatment for children who have leukemia, and 576 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:50,759 Speaker 1: in the beginning it was mostly children who were on 577 00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:54,000 Speaker 1: hospice care, so they've been told, the parents have been 578 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:56,319 Speaker 1: told there was nothing else that could be done for 579 00:36:56,360 --> 00:37:00,960 Speaker 1: their kids. And then Dr comes along with his new 580 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:03,239 Speaker 1: Carte cell therapy and says, we've got one more thing 581 00:37:03,280 --> 00:37:08,960 Speaker 1: we can try. And the kids were surviving and I 582 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:13,000 Speaker 1: called him and I said, We've got a hundred thousand 583 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:15,279 Speaker 1: dollar grant and I want to give it to you. 584 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:22,200 Speaker 1: And he said, oh, well, that's amazing because this morning 585 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:26,480 Speaker 1: I was in my UM meeting and there are four 586 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:31,400 Speaker 1: children who need treatment, and he said, we don't have 587 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:34,440 Speaker 1: the money to give it to them. And I said, oh, 588 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:37,200 Speaker 1: how much does it cost? Thinking he was going to 589 00:37:37,280 --> 00:37:40,480 Speaker 1: say hundreds of thousands of dollars and he said, well, 590 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:44,799 Speaker 1: it costs about twenty five thousand dollars per child. And 591 00:37:44,840 --> 00:37:47,839 Speaker 1: I said, you're not going to believe this, but I've 592 00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:49,880 Speaker 1: already put a check in the mail to you and 593 00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:52,520 Speaker 1: it's for a hundred thousand dollars. And he was like, 594 00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:55,480 Speaker 1: that is a miracle. Do we feel like we would 595 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:58,640 Speaker 1: make faster progress in the pediatr oncology world if there 596 00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:01,920 Speaker 1: were more focus both from drug companies and government funders 597 00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:06,120 Speaker 1: on this absolutely. Uh. Do do the private foundations like 598 00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:09,120 Speaker 1: hearing kids cancer fill in UM part of that gap? 599 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:11,720 Speaker 1: You bet they do? Uh, and they you know, Grintia 600 00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:15,279 Speaker 1: has seems to have a personal instinct for reaching out 601 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:17,719 Speaker 1: just when you know things are getting a little thin 602 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:19,120 Speaker 1: and we're like, where were we going to go with 603 00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:21,080 Speaker 1: this next? And then she's like, oh, you want to 604 00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:22,759 Speaker 1: open that trial, let me help you with that. And 605 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:26,800 Speaker 1: so yes, it is. It is. Uh. One would wish 606 00:38:26,840 --> 00:38:29,440 Speaker 1: that that wasn't the way that it worked, but you know, 607 00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:32,000 Speaker 1: we sure, we sure appreciate it. There's no doubt about that. 608 00:38:32,239 --> 00:38:35,319 Speaker 1: Neither one of us could believe that that timing came 609 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:38,399 Speaker 1: out so well. But there's been many times since then 610 00:38:38,440 --> 00:38:40,680 Speaker 1: where I've called him and told him about things that 611 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:42,680 Speaker 1: we wanted to do, and he said, this is the 612 00:38:42,719 --> 00:38:47,240 Speaker 1: perfect time. And so now he's working on a combo 613 00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:51,840 Speaker 1: treatment that there are two proteins on Luking Yoursells nineteen 614 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:57,760 Speaker 1: and twenty one twenty two Peggy parton and the first 615 00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:02,880 Speaker 1: treatment that they developed, Leoney, attached itself to c D nineteen. 616 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:09,120 Speaker 1: So now they've developed one that has both UM proteins targeted, 617 00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:12,400 Speaker 1: so c D nineteen and c D twenty two and 618 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:15,480 Speaker 1: he's hoping that he will be able to say that 619 00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:18,120 Speaker 1: he gets a hundred percent success rate and getting kids 620 00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:21,839 Speaker 1: back into remission. You fight this good fight. What what 621 00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:26,239 Speaker 1: is it about your your passion and motivation and your 622 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:29,760 Speaker 1: education that has led you to this to this field. 623 00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:35,680 Speaker 1: So UM, you know, the good news about pediatric cancer 624 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:40,040 Speaker 1: is that many children who are diagnosed with cancer today 625 00:39:40,080 --> 00:39:43,880 Speaker 1: are cured UM three fourths or more. So we're you know, 626 00:39:43,920 --> 00:39:47,160 Speaker 1: we've developed these new therapies. We've had this approach in 627 00:39:47,239 --> 00:39:49,960 Speaker 1: pediatric cancer of putting lots of kids on clinical trials 628 00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:53,800 Speaker 1: and that's um upped the success rates in many cancers, 629 00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:56,479 Speaker 1: not all of them, but many of them. Uh. And 630 00:39:56,480 --> 00:39:58,319 Speaker 1: and leukemia is actually one of them where we we've 631 00:39:58,360 --> 00:40:02,120 Speaker 1: gotten way more successful. UM. But as a guy who 632 00:40:02,160 --> 00:40:05,840 Speaker 1: does bone marrow transplant, I'm seeing the patients who aren't 633 00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:10,200 Speaker 1: doing well right, who have relapsed, who have us disease 634 00:40:10,280 --> 00:40:13,640 Speaker 1: that sometimes isn't under control. And so what motivates me 635 00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:17,000 Speaker 1: is um wanting to do something for those kids. Uh 636 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:19,000 Speaker 1: and not accepting the fact that we're going to use 637 00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:21,320 Speaker 1: the tools that I had when I was a fellow 638 00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:24,760 Speaker 1: in the nineties. We need to have something completely different. 639 00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:28,400 Speaker 1: And that completely different thing is the engineered self therapies 640 00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:32,239 Speaker 1: that are now available, including this FDA proof therapy called 641 00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:35,600 Speaker 1: Kim Ryan. And you know, we at chop and at 642 00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:39,120 Speaker 1: the University of Pennsylvania, we're uh really leading that whole 643 00:40:39,239 --> 00:40:43,160 Speaker 1: charge toward the first FDA approval. So what motivates me 644 00:40:43,320 --> 00:40:46,080 Speaker 1: is I see what it looks like when it doesn't work, uh, 645 00:40:46,080 --> 00:40:50,560 Speaker 1: and it is completely unacceptable. We're so proud that we 646 00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:54,400 Speaker 1: were able to get funding to him at a critical 647 00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:57,319 Speaker 1: juncture and his and his work so that we were 648 00:40:57,320 --> 00:41:00,480 Speaker 1: able to drive this forward. And now we see its 649 00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:04,600 Speaker 1: saving children's lives. So we're seeing it being adapted for adults. 650 00:41:04,760 --> 00:41:07,520 Speaker 1: And I mean, we went into this thing. If we 651 00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:10,680 Speaker 1: can just save one life, it'll be fantastic. But now 652 00:41:10,719 --> 00:41:14,239 Speaker 1: we're saying life after life after life being saved by 653 00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:17,439 Speaker 1: the research for fund and Steve Groups. A big part 654 00:41:17,440 --> 00:41:21,600 Speaker 1: of that summarize in Layman's terms cell therapy. Are you 655 00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:26,200 Speaker 1: literally taking bad cells out and replacing them with good cells? 656 00:41:26,320 --> 00:41:30,560 Speaker 1: Is that? I mean? Is that so we're taking I 657 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:33,200 Speaker 1: think what you're saying is is close to right. Um, 658 00:41:33,320 --> 00:41:35,640 Speaker 1: so we're taking good cells out. So we got a 659 00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:38,360 Speaker 1: patient with leukemia. We're taking good cells out, and we 660 00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:41,200 Speaker 1: may take out some leukemia cells, but that doesn't matter, UH. 661 00:41:41,239 --> 00:41:43,399 Speaker 1: And we take those cells out. Those cells are called 662 00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:46,600 Speaker 1: T cells, and T cells are part of the immune system. 663 00:41:46,680 --> 00:41:49,520 Speaker 1: They fight viruses, but they could fight cancer if you 664 00:41:49,520 --> 00:41:52,240 Speaker 1: could just give them a way to find the cancer cells, 665 00:41:52,239 --> 00:41:54,520 Speaker 1: which they can't do. And so what we do is 666 00:41:54,560 --> 00:41:57,720 Speaker 1: we take those cells out of the body. It takes 667 00:41:57,760 --> 00:41:59,600 Speaker 1: a few hours of just filtering the cells out of 668 00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:03,680 Speaker 1: the blood, uh, and then we basically genetically engineer the cells. 669 00:42:03,719 --> 00:42:07,160 Speaker 1: We expose the cells to a virus. The virus changes 670 00:42:07,680 --> 00:42:11,040 Speaker 1: the DNA of the T cell, and then that change 671 00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:13,080 Speaker 1: in the DNA of T cell gives it the instructions 672 00:42:13,120 --> 00:42:15,640 Speaker 1: it needs to go out and find the cancer. And 673 00:42:15,680 --> 00:42:18,319 Speaker 1: once it finds the cancer, T cells are perfectly good 674 00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:21,200 Speaker 1: at killing it. That's what they're for. But they the 675 00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:23,440 Speaker 1: find part didn't work. So what we do is we 676 00:42:23,480 --> 00:42:27,040 Speaker 1: fix the fine part. And what happens so amazing about 677 00:42:27,120 --> 00:42:30,080 Speaker 1: this is if you have patients with a large amount 678 00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:32,680 Speaker 1: of leukemia in their bodies, these T cells will grow 679 00:42:32,719 --> 00:42:36,080 Speaker 1: and grow and grow to a level that is necessary 680 00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:37,920 Speaker 1: to control the disease. So you've got a little disease, 681 00:42:38,080 --> 00:42:40,000 Speaker 1: they grow a little. You've got a lot of disease, 682 00:42:40,040 --> 00:42:43,000 Speaker 1: they grow a lot. And in that situation you can 683 00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:47,000 Speaker 1: get patients with literally pounds of leukemia into remission and 684 00:42:47,080 --> 00:42:51,680 Speaker 1: that that party is astonishing, and that differs. Just to 685 00:42:51,719 --> 00:42:54,239 Speaker 1: be clear, when you give a normal drug, when you 686 00:42:54,239 --> 00:42:56,200 Speaker 1: take something by mouth, when you get something by I V. 687 00:42:56,960 --> 00:42:58,680 Speaker 1: That's all the drug you get and then it goes 688 00:42:58,719 --> 00:43:01,120 Speaker 1: away and then you give the drug again. This is 689 00:43:01,120 --> 00:43:03,520 Speaker 1: a living drug where the cells grow to the level 690 00:43:03,560 --> 00:43:07,760 Speaker 1: needed stay in the body again. Our first patient, Emily Whitehead, 691 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:10,240 Speaker 1: still has these cells on the hunt in her body 692 00:43:10,280 --> 00:43:13,239 Speaker 1: ten years later and she's been in remission ever since since. 693 00:43:13,239 --> 00:43:17,040 Speaker 1: She's our furthest out patient. Um. So, the theory is 694 00:43:17,080 --> 00:43:19,840 Speaker 1: really teach your your immune system to do something it 695 00:43:19,880 --> 00:43:21,920 Speaker 1: didn't know how to do. The tools we have to 696 00:43:21,920 --> 00:43:24,160 Speaker 1: do that are so much more powerful than they were 697 00:43:24,160 --> 00:43:27,200 Speaker 1: even you know, twenty years ago. So to go back 698 00:43:27,239 --> 00:43:31,040 Speaker 1: to my attempt at summarizing, you're actually taking out good cells, 699 00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:35,840 Speaker 1: educating them, giving them their master's degree in finding cancer cells, 700 00:43:36,040 --> 00:43:39,120 Speaker 1: putting it back in and say you know, go go go, 701 00:43:39,120 --> 00:43:43,279 Speaker 1: go teach the masses right exactly, and and you you know, 702 00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:47,399 Speaker 1: it's like if you could imagine an army that if 703 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:50,799 Speaker 1: it accounts encounters another army that's bigger than it is, 704 00:43:51,160 --> 00:43:54,160 Speaker 1: decides to grow. That's what t cells can do. And 705 00:43:54,239 --> 00:43:56,759 Speaker 1: so you're your your summary is perfect. That's exactly what 706 00:43:56,800 --> 00:43:59,919 Speaker 1: happens that that. I mean, it makes It gives me chill, 707 00:44:00,719 --> 00:44:04,400 Speaker 1: It gives me hope, it gives me, you know, borderline 708 00:44:04,440 --> 00:44:06,399 Speaker 1: brings it, you know. I mean if I could get 709 00:44:06,400 --> 00:44:08,759 Speaker 1: a tear if I really focused on because it's like 710 00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:12,600 Speaker 1: this is this is astounding. I mean, this, this has 711 00:44:12,680 --> 00:44:16,600 Speaker 1: got to you know, for you in this field and 712 00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:20,160 Speaker 1: in this fight on the front lines. That gives you 713 00:44:20,200 --> 00:44:24,040 Speaker 1: a lot of hope. It does, it absolutely does. But 714 00:44:24,160 --> 00:44:26,239 Speaker 1: let me be honest with you and also tell you 715 00:44:26,280 --> 00:44:29,680 Speaker 1: what's missing. So where the hope is is all in 716 00:44:29,760 --> 00:44:33,080 Speaker 1: blood cancers, So leukemia, lymphoma, mi aloma, all of these 717 00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:35,920 Speaker 1: blood cancers. We've had amazing results both in adults and 718 00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:41,200 Speaker 1: kids across multiple different diagnoses. Where you want this to work, 719 00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:45,320 Speaker 1: especially for adult patients is solid tumors like breast cancer, 720 00:44:45,400 --> 00:44:48,440 Speaker 1: lung cancer, pancreas cancer. There we don't have the recipe 721 00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:50,799 Speaker 1: yet and so we're we're waiting for that sort of 722 00:44:50,840 --> 00:44:54,640 Speaker 1: transformative type of result in those uh more common adults 723 00:44:54,640 --> 00:44:57,680 Speaker 1: solid tumors, and that would change the whole cancer world 724 00:44:57,719 --> 00:45:01,000 Speaker 1: as it is. We've changed the look for blood cancer 725 00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:04,680 Speaker 1: patients across the age spectrum and it's an amazing result. 726 00:45:04,719 --> 00:45:07,440 Speaker 1: But you know, that's what we're missing, is that recipe 727 00:45:07,480 --> 00:45:11,640 Speaker 1: for the solid tumors. I appreciate that, that perspective and 728 00:45:11,719 --> 00:45:17,360 Speaker 1: the reality. UM. I also appreciate the fact that without 729 00:45:17,520 --> 00:45:22,719 Speaker 1: people like the Owen family, without them, you know, like 730 00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:24,719 Speaker 1: I still I too, said to grind you. You know, 731 00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:27,480 Speaker 1: like if I lost my child, I'm not sure I 732 00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:29,680 Speaker 1: would leave a room. You know, I just sucked my 733 00:45:29,760 --> 00:45:32,239 Speaker 1: thumb and curl up in a ball and and and 734 00:45:32,280 --> 00:45:36,480 Speaker 1: wallow in and misery. Um for her to get up 735 00:45:37,320 --> 00:45:41,680 Speaker 1: off that off that bed of of sadness and do 736 00:45:41,840 --> 00:45:46,480 Speaker 1: something about it and get to million raised and counting 737 00:45:47,080 --> 00:45:51,640 Speaker 1: and and and connect with people like yourself and support 738 00:45:52,160 --> 00:45:55,560 Speaker 1: the cause. You know what we we we we wouldn't 739 00:45:55,600 --> 00:45:59,480 Speaker 1: be where we are today. So I appreciate everybody involved here. Yeah. No, 740 00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:01,920 Speaker 1: she's in Dole and she's had such a delight to 741 00:46:01,960 --> 00:46:04,640 Speaker 1: talk to. She gets all of this, UM. She has 742 00:46:04,719 --> 00:46:08,080 Speaker 1: incredibly sophisticated understanding, but she also has great instincts for 743 00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:11,319 Speaker 1: what isn't isn't gonna work? Uh, and that I don't 744 00:46:11,400 --> 00:46:13,279 Speaker 1: you can't teach somebody that they just got it or 745 00:46:13,280 --> 00:46:16,920 Speaker 1: they don't. Well, that's that's the power of a mother, right, 746 00:46:17,080 --> 00:46:20,880 Speaker 1: Like that's when you know God knows no fury like 747 00:46:21,080 --> 00:46:27,399 Speaker 1: a pistol. Right. Um, well, thank you so much for 748 00:46:27,440 --> 00:46:29,719 Speaker 1: your time, so happy to do it, so thanks for 749 00:46:29,719 --> 00:46:35,200 Speaker 1: the time. I mean, you're literally curing kids cancer. Yes, yes, 750 00:46:35,400 --> 00:46:37,719 Speaker 1: I know. It gives me goose bumps when I talk 751 00:46:37,800 --> 00:46:42,920 Speaker 1: about it because I sat at my kitchen table thinking 752 00:46:43,040 --> 00:46:46,399 Speaker 1: if I could just say one child, like Killian, if 753 00:46:46,440 --> 00:46:49,319 Speaker 1: I could just say one child, I would be happy. 754 00:46:49,800 --> 00:46:53,000 Speaker 1: And now I know that we've managed to save hundreds 755 00:46:53,040 --> 00:46:56,440 Speaker 1: of children, and we've given them back to their parents 756 00:46:56,480 --> 00:46:59,600 Speaker 1: when they've been told there's no hope. I mean that 757 00:47:00,040 --> 00:47:05,160 Speaker 1: to me is you know, if if if I joined 758 00:47:05,239 --> 00:47:09,000 Speaker 1: Killian tomorrow and I get to see my angel again, 759 00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:14,520 Speaker 1: it will all be worth it. Um. But yeah, there 760 00:47:14,520 --> 00:47:16,680 Speaker 1: have been many times when I felt like giving up. 761 00:47:16,719 --> 00:47:21,360 Speaker 1: But doctors like Dr Grupp are just so dedicated and 762 00:47:21,440 --> 00:47:25,000 Speaker 1: so amazing. They're such amazing people and they love They 763 00:47:25,080 --> 00:47:28,080 Speaker 1: love the fact that we're so interested in what they're doing, 764 00:47:28,360 --> 00:47:30,960 Speaker 1: and we we don't just hand over a check. We 765 00:47:31,000 --> 00:47:33,360 Speaker 1: want to know how it works and why it works, 766 00:47:33,480 --> 00:47:36,120 Speaker 1: and you know, so that we can tell other people 767 00:47:36,200 --> 00:47:39,279 Speaker 1: what they're doing, because it is truly amazing. I mean, 768 00:47:39,320 --> 00:47:43,600 Speaker 1: it's it's the It was the beginning of immunotherapy. That 769 00:47:43,840 --> 00:47:48,040 Speaker 1: is what immunotherapy is based on. And you know, to 770 00:47:48,200 --> 00:47:51,440 Speaker 1: think that we had a teeny tiny little part of 771 00:47:51,480 --> 00:47:59,479 Speaker 1: that is just astonishing to me, miraculous. So immunotherapy hits 772 00:47:59,600 --> 00:48:02,280 Speaker 1: close to home for me. My mother in law almost 773 00:48:02,320 --> 00:48:05,439 Speaker 1: a year ago was diagnosed with melanoma on the lung, 774 00:48:06,400 --> 00:48:10,560 Speaker 1: very rare and in in an operable spot, and after 775 00:48:10,640 --> 00:48:14,800 Speaker 1: eight treatments of immunotherapy through a port in her chest, 776 00:48:15,560 --> 00:48:20,040 Speaker 1: she was recently told by two doctors that she's now 777 00:48:20,160 --> 00:48:24,279 Speaker 1: cancer free. Back to Grania Owen, who's the first to 778 00:48:24,360 --> 00:48:26,520 Speaker 1: admit that she's not able to do what she does 779 00:48:26,640 --> 00:48:30,840 Speaker 1: without the support of so many others. We are the 780 00:48:30,920 --> 00:48:34,560 Speaker 1: charity of choice of me Comb Car Auctions, and they 781 00:48:34,560 --> 00:48:37,760 Speaker 1: are the largest classical muscle car auction house in the world. 782 00:48:38,200 --> 00:48:42,360 Speaker 1: They adopted us as their charity eleven years ago and 783 00:48:42,560 --> 00:48:45,359 Speaker 1: when they adopted us. It was me raising money full 784 00:48:45,400 --> 00:48:48,359 Speaker 1: time and two ladies helping me part time, and yet 785 00:48:48,480 --> 00:48:53,040 Speaker 1: Dana Maecam, who ran a multimillion dollar company at that point, 786 00:48:54,120 --> 00:48:58,360 Speaker 1: was willing to partner with me because he believed in 787 00:48:58,400 --> 00:49:03,760 Speaker 1: what I was doing. And since then they have helped 788 00:49:03,840 --> 00:49:09,120 Speaker 1: us raise eleven million dollars. And I were at the 789 00:49:09,239 --> 00:49:12,319 Speaker 1: last three auctions I have been at, and I go 790 00:49:12,400 --> 00:49:15,880 Speaker 1: to all of the car auctions. I have met people 791 00:49:17,080 --> 00:49:21,320 Speaker 1: who have told me about children who are on treatments 792 00:49:21,360 --> 00:49:26,600 Speaker 1: that we have helped fund, and the chances of that 793 00:49:26,800 --> 00:49:33,000 Speaker 1: happening are slim, I would have thought. So it must 794 00:49:33,040 --> 00:49:36,320 Speaker 1: be out It must be helping, It must be making 795 00:49:36,320 --> 00:49:38,719 Speaker 1: a difference out there for more children than I can 796 00:49:38,760 --> 00:49:43,080 Speaker 1: possibly realize, because why you know the fact that these 797 00:49:43,080 --> 00:49:45,799 Speaker 1: people are at me coom auctions and they hear me 798 00:49:45,840 --> 00:49:49,480 Speaker 1: speak and they tell me about the child that they 799 00:49:49,480 --> 00:49:52,279 Speaker 1: are related to or whatever you know or they know, 800 00:49:53,400 --> 00:49:57,440 Speaker 1: and then I get to find out that it's something 801 00:49:57,480 --> 00:50:01,360 Speaker 1: that we funded that they are being treated with and 802 00:50:01,400 --> 00:50:03,400 Speaker 1: that is helping to save their lives. I mean that 803 00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:07,400 Speaker 1: what are the chances of that? I don't know. I 804 00:50:07,440 --> 00:50:11,680 Speaker 1: don't know, but it must be making a difference where 805 00:50:11,719 --> 00:50:15,480 Speaker 1: does golf fit into all this? Oh gosh, in all 806 00:50:15,520 --> 00:50:20,080 Speaker 1: sorts of ways. Um. First of all, we started our 807 00:50:20,120 --> 00:50:24,520 Speaker 1: golf tournament. I think it was seventeen. I think this 808 00:50:24,600 --> 00:50:28,800 Speaker 1: is our seventeenth golf tournament. I may have that wrong. UM, 809 00:50:28,840 --> 00:50:34,320 Speaker 1: but UM we started out with a T and T 810 00:50:34,600 --> 00:50:42,960 Speaker 1: being the UM host for the golf tournament. And UM 811 00:50:43,000 --> 00:50:47,960 Speaker 1: it has grown bigger and bigger every year. And UM 812 00:50:48,000 --> 00:50:51,960 Speaker 1: at the beginning there again that was something that Lee 813 00:50:52,040 --> 00:50:56,520 Speaker 1: Corso would always come to speak at. And UM we've 814 00:50:56,520 --> 00:51:01,200 Speaker 1: had some amazing people come along, UM join in and 815 00:51:01,520 --> 00:51:07,839 Speaker 1: it's gotten bigger and bigger, and UM this year we 816 00:51:08,120 --> 00:51:12,040 Speaker 1: are sold out already. We were sold out a couple 817 00:51:12,040 --> 00:51:15,080 Speaker 1: of months, well about a month ago. UM. And it's 818 00:51:15,080 --> 00:51:19,759 Speaker 1: not until October. UM it's at Lakewood in Dallas. UM 819 00:51:20,000 --> 00:51:25,919 Speaker 1: this year. And IBM and a company called Technahindra are 820 00:51:27,000 --> 00:51:31,239 Speaker 1: two of our big sponsors. And IBM is amazing. They've 821 00:51:31,280 --> 00:51:36,960 Speaker 1: been fantastic sponsors. And UM it I mean it has 822 00:51:37,040 --> 00:51:43,560 Speaker 1: raised several million dollars all by itself. We raise at 823 00:51:43,640 --> 00:51:46,839 Speaker 1: least three or four hundred thousand dollars with it every 824 00:51:46,920 --> 00:51:51,200 Speaker 1: year and it has been as much as five fifty 825 00:51:51,200 --> 00:51:55,480 Speaker 1: thousand dollars in a year, so UM, it's a huge 826 00:51:55,840 --> 00:52:01,080 Speaker 1: It is by far our biggest fundraising event. UM. And 827 00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:06,400 Speaker 1: the companies come back year after year and sponsor and um. 828 00:52:07,280 --> 00:52:09,520 Speaker 1: You know, we've had some people who have been with 829 00:52:09,600 --> 00:52:13,520 Speaker 1: us the whole time and that's to me unbelievable that 830 00:52:13,560 --> 00:52:17,920 Speaker 1: they are that dedicated. And we talk about what we do. 831 00:52:18,000 --> 00:52:20,480 Speaker 1: We have at dinner the night before the golf tournament 832 00:52:20,600 --> 00:52:24,040 Speaker 1: of the i P dinner and we make a point 833 00:52:24,080 --> 00:52:26,520 Speaker 1: of explaining to people exactly what it is we do 834 00:52:26,600 --> 00:52:29,160 Speaker 1: and why we do it. And they love that because 835 00:52:30,080 --> 00:52:34,480 Speaker 1: it gives it some meaning for them. They're not just 836 00:52:35,000 --> 00:52:38,920 Speaker 1: you know, enjoying themselves playing golf, although hopefully they do 837 00:52:39,040 --> 00:52:42,439 Speaker 1: that too, but you know, when they donate money, they 838 00:52:42,480 --> 00:52:45,560 Speaker 1: know that it's really making a difference for these kids 839 00:52:45,760 --> 00:52:48,640 Speaker 1: and that means something to them, and that's why they 840 00:52:48,960 --> 00:52:51,880 Speaker 1: come back every year. Matt Nie Smith is a PGA 841 00:52:51,920 --> 00:52:55,760 Speaker 1: Tour player who finished the season three in the FedEx 842 00:52:55,760 --> 00:52:59,520 Speaker 1: Cup standings. A graduate of the University of South Carolina 843 00:52:59,560 --> 00:53:03,920 Speaker 1: in twenty sixteen, he joined the PGA Tour in His 844 00:53:04,000 --> 00:53:06,160 Speaker 1: best finished last year was a T three at the 845 00:53:06,200 --> 00:53:12,359 Speaker 1: Valspark Championship. He made twenty cuts his wife, Abigail, who 846 00:53:12,480 --> 00:53:14,760 Speaker 1: he proposed to on the eighteenth green of the Harbor 847 00:53:14,800 --> 00:53:19,360 Speaker 1: Town Golf Links, also graduated from USC and used to 848 00:53:19,400 --> 00:53:23,320 Speaker 1: work for Grannia Owen at Carrying Kids Cancer. Nie Smith 849 00:53:23,360 --> 00:53:26,040 Speaker 1: has the logo on his bag, and they both remained 850 00:53:26,160 --> 00:53:29,840 Speaker 1: very involved in the charity and specifically the golf tournament, 851 00:53:30,280 --> 00:53:33,320 Speaker 1: which will be held on October three at Lakewood Country 852 00:53:33,320 --> 00:53:36,640 Speaker 1: Club in Dallas. Here's Nie Smith on how and why 853 00:53:36,719 --> 00:53:39,319 Speaker 1: he got involved. The coach of South Carolina, where I 854 00:53:39,320 --> 00:53:41,920 Speaker 1: went to school, had leukemia as well, so right when 855 00:53:41,960 --> 00:53:46,160 Speaker 1: I was getting recruited, um, he was diagnosed with leukemia 856 00:53:46,440 --> 00:53:49,600 Speaker 1: and ended up. I mean he's been in recession now 857 00:53:49,640 --> 00:53:52,440 Speaker 1: for almost ten for ten years or so probably so. 858 00:53:53,200 --> 00:53:56,040 Speaker 1: Granna and him knew each other from the fire truck 859 00:53:56,040 --> 00:53:58,360 Speaker 1: pull and stuff like that. So I went up started 860 00:53:58,400 --> 00:54:00,319 Speaker 1: playing when I was in school, right and I got 861 00:54:00,320 --> 00:54:02,360 Speaker 1: out of school, me and him, we're on a team together, 862 00:54:02,400 --> 00:54:05,960 Speaker 1: and that was my first introduction to playing. Everybody thought 863 00:54:06,000 --> 00:54:08,840 Speaker 1: that was pretty unfair, so I thought it was relatively 864 00:54:08,880 --> 00:54:11,560 Speaker 1: unfair as well. So I lost the first year, we 865 00:54:11,600 --> 00:54:13,480 Speaker 1: won the second year, and then after we won, I 866 00:54:13,520 --> 00:54:16,719 Speaker 1: was like, Okay, I'll find a new spot I'll find 867 00:54:16,800 --> 00:54:20,359 Speaker 1: another way to contribute. So um, this year we did. 868 00:54:20,800 --> 00:54:25,200 Speaker 1: I played, uh god, I had probably thirty six groups 869 00:54:25,280 --> 00:54:27,200 Speaker 1: or something like that. They had like thirty six groups, 870 00:54:27,200 --> 00:54:31,040 Speaker 1: so I did. Um, they could pay me fifty bucks, 871 00:54:31,320 --> 00:54:33,040 Speaker 1: they could pay for me to hit a shot for 872 00:54:33,080 --> 00:54:35,719 Speaker 1: their group, and if anybody got it inside me, I 873 00:54:35,840 --> 00:54:39,600 Speaker 1: matched the donation as well. So just trying to find 874 00:54:39,600 --> 00:54:44,120 Speaker 1: ways to help people kind of I don't know, get 875 00:54:44,120 --> 00:54:46,080 Speaker 1: their foot in the door. And then also looking for 876 00:54:46,120 --> 00:54:49,040 Speaker 1: any way where I can help in our presence and 877 00:54:49,120 --> 00:54:51,680 Speaker 1: just me being there or trying to donate as well. 878 00:54:51,719 --> 00:54:53,399 Speaker 1: I mean we still we donate a couple of times 879 00:54:53,440 --> 00:54:56,080 Speaker 1: a year, and just trying to help out any way 880 00:54:56,080 --> 00:54:59,279 Speaker 1: I possibly can and it's your yeah, and we got 881 00:54:59,320 --> 00:55:02,880 Speaker 1: it on the golf bag. Having worked closely with Grania 882 00:55:02,960 --> 00:55:06,160 Speaker 1: and curing kids cancer for so many years. Here's Abigail 883 00:55:06,239 --> 00:55:11,120 Speaker 1: Nei Smith on watching Grana in action. She is so 884 00:55:11,280 --> 00:55:18,760 Speaker 1: focused and knows what exactly is needed to see things 885 00:55:18,840 --> 00:55:23,920 Speaker 1: progress and the things I've learned from her just sharing um, 886 00:55:24,320 --> 00:55:28,359 Speaker 1: going through different reports and articles that she'll share with 887 00:55:28,520 --> 00:55:33,080 Speaker 1: us um about upcoming research. I mean it's just amazing, 888 00:55:33,520 --> 00:55:37,719 Speaker 1: but you know, knowing her personal story and how you 889 00:55:37,760 --> 00:55:42,760 Speaker 1: know she was relentless and even in any health journey 890 00:55:42,800 --> 00:55:47,000 Speaker 1: that you are your advocate, your you are it and 891 00:55:47,920 --> 00:55:51,840 Speaker 1: knowing that, you know, she didn't just stop when Killean 892 00:55:52,000 --> 00:55:54,880 Speaker 1: was diagnosed. She kept going and looking for new things. 893 00:55:55,080 --> 00:55:58,520 Speaker 1: And she does that all the time with c k C. 894 00:55:58,800 --> 00:56:02,120 Speaker 1: She's always looking it new things, going out, talking to 895 00:56:02,200 --> 00:56:06,560 Speaker 1: different doctors, seeing what's going on. And it's just amazing 896 00:56:06,640 --> 00:56:12,319 Speaker 1: because she is relentless and works tirelessly to make sure 897 00:56:12,800 --> 00:56:16,359 Speaker 1: that Curing Kids Cancer is funding the best projects out there. 898 00:56:16,719 --> 00:56:19,879 Speaker 1: You know, obviously the golf tournament is sold out, but 899 00:56:19,960 --> 00:56:23,359 Speaker 1: how can how can people who hear this story and 900 00:56:23,440 --> 00:56:26,600 Speaker 1: feel inclined to participate or support, how can they? How 901 00:56:26,600 --> 00:56:29,760 Speaker 1: can they do that? We've got lots of other events, 902 00:56:29,800 --> 00:56:33,320 Speaker 1: not just the golf tournament, so UM, you know, people 903 00:56:33,360 --> 00:56:36,359 Speaker 1: can participate in the events, they can volunteer to help 904 00:56:36,440 --> 00:56:39,680 Speaker 1: with them. UM. We have a golf tournament in Atlanta 905 00:56:39,760 --> 00:56:44,799 Speaker 1: as well. UM that's in the spring. And UM we 906 00:56:44,960 --> 00:56:49,120 Speaker 1: have all sorts of other fundraising events both in well, 907 00:56:49,160 --> 00:56:52,760 Speaker 1: actually we have them in South Carolina and Atlanta and 908 00:56:52,880 --> 00:56:59,560 Speaker 1: here in Dallas. UM and also make them car auctions. UM, 909 00:56:59,760 --> 00:57:02,719 Speaker 1: like has said, they stop the auction every day and 910 00:57:02,800 --> 00:57:07,160 Speaker 1: let me speak about the charity. And people can donate, 911 00:57:07,360 --> 00:57:11,600 Speaker 1: they can buy, well, they can bid on a neon 912 00:57:11,680 --> 00:57:16,240 Speaker 1: signed that mecomb gives to the highest bidder, so it's 913 00:57:16,240 --> 00:57:19,720 Speaker 1: a gift from me Comb, but the bidder is making 914 00:57:19,720 --> 00:57:23,960 Speaker 1: a donation to Curing Kids Cancer. So, um, you know, 915 00:57:24,040 --> 00:57:27,240 Speaker 1: there are multiple ways. Just go to Curing Kids Cancer 916 00:57:27,360 --> 00:57:31,160 Speaker 1: dot org and you will see lots of different ways 917 00:57:31,200 --> 00:57:33,680 Speaker 1: that you can help support us. Just make a donation. 918 00:57:34,000 --> 00:57:36,680 Speaker 1: I mean, coaches, Curing Kids Cancer is still going. So 919 00:57:36,720 --> 00:57:39,640 Speaker 1: if you've got a child in sports, you can support 920 00:57:39,720 --> 00:57:44,680 Speaker 1: us that way. Um. Just you know, pretty much anyway 921 00:57:44,720 --> 00:57:48,640 Speaker 1: you can think of people who have employee giving, they 922 00:57:48,680 --> 00:57:53,000 Speaker 1: can help us because we're registered. We're a full five O, 923 00:57:53,120 --> 00:57:56,840 Speaker 1: one C three um. So yeah, lots and lots of 924 00:57:56,880 --> 00:58:00,200 Speaker 1: different ways. Amazon Smile is one of the big days 925 00:58:00,280 --> 00:58:04,120 Speaker 1: that people can help us with it making absolutely they 926 00:58:04,160 --> 00:58:06,720 Speaker 1: don't even have to make a donation. They can just 927 00:58:06,800 --> 00:58:09,880 Speaker 1: do their regular shopping on Amazon and we are listed 928 00:58:09,920 --> 00:58:13,240 Speaker 1: as one of the charities for Amazon Smile and we 929 00:58:13,360 --> 00:58:18,120 Speaker 1: get a percentage of everything that they buy from Amazon, 930 00:58:18,280 --> 00:58:22,160 Speaker 1: and it's a donation from Amazon, so they don't even 931 00:58:22,240 --> 00:58:26,680 Speaker 1: spend any extra money. Um, very easy way to help. 932 00:58:27,120 --> 00:58:33,240 Speaker 1: What about Lee Corso? Lee? Oh my gosh, Lee was amazing. 933 00:58:33,360 --> 00:58:37,120 Speaker 1: Clay Clay works for A T and T and they 934 00:58:37,160 --> 00:58:42,520 Speaker 1: were sponsoring the College Football Hall of Fame, a kick 935 00:58:42,560 --> 00:58:44,640 Speaker 1: off lunch that they used to do every year in 936 00:58:44,640 --> 00:58:48,840 Speaker 1: Atlanta for the college football season, and Lee was obviously 937 00:58:49,360 --> 00:58:52,640 Speaker 1: the main speaker, but Clay was the representative for A 938 00:58:52,720 --> 00:58:58,280 Speaker 1: T and T, and right he was right introducing Lee, 939 00:58:58,520 --> 00:59:02,520 Speaker 1: and right before he did that, he mentioned charity and said, Okay, 940 00:59:02,560 --> 00:59:05,720 Speaker 1: this is my thirty second elevator speech. We started charity 941 00:59:05,920 --> 00:59:08,760 Speaker 1: because we lost one of our kids and blah blah. 942 00:59:08,800 --> 00:59:13,120 Speaker 1: And as he was coming off, Lee grabbed him and said, 943 00:59:13,880 --> 00:59:17,480 Speaker 1: let me know what I can do to help, and 944 00:59:17,560 --> 00:59:19,720 Speaker 1: Clay looked at him and he said, no, I mean it. 945 00:59:20,040 --> 00:59:22,760 Speaker 1: I feel like I'm supposed to help you. He's everything 946 00:59:22,800 --> 00:59:25,080 Speaker 1: you know I hope that he's going to be because 947 00:59:25,120 --> 00:59:28,480 Speaker 1: he was just so positive and inspirational and you know, 948 00:59:28,600 --> 00:59:33,120 Speaker 1: always makes time to to do whatever you want him 949 00:59:33,120 --> 00:59:36,000 Speaker 1: to do, whether they're shooting a public service announcement, are 950 00:59:36,080 --> 00:59:39,400 Speaker 1: coming to a gala. He's come for many golf tournaments 951 00:59:39,440 --> 00:59:43,400 Speaker 1: over the years. You know. Unfortunately, a couple of years 952 00:59:43,440 --> 00:59:45,240 Speaker 1: ago he did have a stroke, but he used to 953 00:59:45,440 --> 00:59:48,760 Speaker 1: used to come to the golf tournaments regularly and play, 954 00:59:48,920 --> 00:59:51,680 Speaker 1: and it was such a delight to have him at 955 00:59:51,760 --> 00:59:54,600 Speaker 1: the at the golf tournaments and he would do you 956 00:59:54,640 --> 00:59:57,320 Speaker 1: know Q and as with the golfers, who would talk about, 957 00:59:58,360 --> 01:00:00,760 Speaker 1: you know, the college football sea and it was often 958 01:00:00,800 --> 01:00:04,040 Speaker 1: to the fall when we'd uh, we do these things 959 01:00:04,120 --> 01:00:06,840 Speaker 1: and they just couldn't get enough of Lee. But he's 960 01:00:06,920 --> 01:00:10,720 Speaker 1: he's been a good friend, always there and he always 961 01:00:11,000 --> 01:00:14,760 Speaker 1: ends every conversation the same way, what else can I 962 01:00:14,800 --> 01:00:17,520 Speaker 1: do for you? And you know, you just gotta love 963 01:00:17,560 --> 01:00:21,880 Speaker 1: that guy. He's just just tremendous. Mr. Of course, so 964 01:00:23,080 --> 01:00:27,320 Speaker 1: he Matt, thank you for doing this, gay mad Yeah, 965 01:00:27,400 --> 01:00:29,200 Speaker 1: well it's it's it's an honor to be a part 966 01:00:29,200 --> 01:00:32,440 Speaker 1: of small part of this story. Thank you for doing it. 967 01:00:32,440 --> 01:00:34,520 Speaker 1: It's an honor to be talking to you, sir. I 968 01:00:34,560 --> 01:00:36,880 Speaker 1: appreciate all that you've you've ever done, and all the 969 01:00:37,000 --> 01:00:40,600 Speaker 1: entertainment you've brought me in my life. Thank you, thank you. 970 01:00:40,600 --> 01:00:44,160 Speaker 1: You're welcome. You're welcome, my friend. Curing kids cancer? What 971 01:00:44,200 --> 01:00:48,400 Speaker 1: does it mean to you? Wellly fifteen years ago I 972 01:00:48,480 --> 01:00:52,160 Speaker 1: met Clay Owen and when he's making a speech in Atlanta, 973 01:00:52,760 --> 01:00:55,800 Speaker 1: and he talked about he and his wife party lost 974 01:00:55,800 --> 01:01:01,160 Speaker 1: a nine year old son, Killian Killian to life land leukemium, 975 01:01:01,160 --> 01:01:04,040 Speaker 1: and I was so touched I saw it. I said 976 01:01:04,040 --> 01:01:07,520 Speaker 1: to myself, I gotta be involved in this guy. This 977 01:01:07,560 --> 01:01:10,120 Speaker 1: guy is too too good to read too. So I 978 01:01:10,200 --> 01:01:12,680 Speaker 1: walk up after the stage, I grabbed him and I said, 979 01:01:13,080 --> 01:01:15,760 Speaker 1: how can I help you? Know you hear the words 980 01:01:16,600 --> 01:01:20,800 Speaker 1: kid and cancer. How do you not help a program 981 01:01:20,880 --> 01:01:25,680 Speaker 1: based on making sure that kids don't die from cancer? Well, 982 01:01:26,000 --> 01:01:28,440 Speaker 1: a number one thing is you've got to believe in it. 983 01:01:28,600 --> 01:01:31,680 Speaker 1: When it is, the kids and cancer don't go together, 984 01:01:32,000 --> 01:01:34,480 Speaker 1: so you gotta do everything in their power to keep 985 01:01:34,520 --> 01:01:37,520 Speaker 1: that from happening. And then when they, like God forbid, 986 01:01:37,960 --> 01:01:40,880 Speaker 1: that does happen to him, they've got to have someplace 987 01:01:41,080 --> 01:01:43,800 Speaker 1: they go to help cure them. Well, you have a 988 01:01:43,840 --> 01:01:46,360 Speaker 1: big voice, you have a big following, you have a 989 01:01:46,360 --> 01:01:50,920 Speaker 1: big network, you have a big fan base. So for 990 01:01:50,960 --> 01:01:53,840 Speaker 1: someone like you to get involved in something like this, 991 01:01:54,000 --> 01:01:57,840 Speaker 1: it matters to somebody like the Owen family. Well, another thing, 992 01:01:58,080 --> 01:02:03,960 Speaker 1: in case somebody's watching us, Curing Kids Cancer DOT or 993 01:02:05,200 --> 01:02:08,960 Speaker 1: Curing Kids cancer DOT ring is the way they can 994 01:02:09,040 --> 01:02:12,000 Speaker 1: make donations. I try to do as much as I 995 01:02:12,080 --> 01:02:15,520 Speaker 1: can and help them, but I did related to me 996 01:02:15,840 --> 01:02:19,040 Speaker 1: as much help as it as they can get. Lee 997 01:02:19,080 --> 01:02:22,160 Speaker 1: Corso is eighty eight years old. He's been a part 998 01:02:22,200 --> 01:02:26,400 Speaker 1: of the College Game Day since its inception in and 999 01:02:26,400 --> 01:02:29,120 Speaker 1: he's famous for wearing the head gear of the mascot 1000 01:02:29,440 --> 01:02:31,760 Speaker 1: associated with the team that he's picking to win the 1001 01:02:31,760 --> 01:02:35,160 Speaker 1: big Game. He's back on the desk this year for 1002 01:02:35,200 --> 01:02:39,920 Speaker 1: a thirty sixth season, flanked by Rhes Davis, Kirk, Herbstreet 1003 01:02:40,280 --> 01:02:45,280 Speaker 1: and Desmond Howard. But I'm still working. We are. You're 1004 01:02:45,320 --> 01:02:49,080 Speaker 1: an inspiration. You're an inspiration. Keep going and uh and 1005 01:02:49,160 --> 01:02:51,280 Speaker 1: keep doing what you're doing and keep bringing smiles to 1006 01:02:51,280 --> 01:02:54,480 Speaker 1: our faces. We appreciate you, sir. Thank you very much. 1007 01:02:54,840 --> 01:02:59,480 Speaker 1: Curing Kids Cancer dot org. So, as we get to 1008 01:02:59,480 --> 01:03:04,000 Speaker 1: the end of this podcast, some final reflections first, I'd 1009 01:03:04,000 --> 01:03:06,600 Speaker 1: say my biggest takeaway is the difference one family can 1010 01:03:06,640 --> 01:03:09,960 Speaker 1: have on making sure so many other kids and families 1011 01:03:10,000 --> 01:03:13,200 Speaker 1: don't have to go through what they've gone through. It's 1012 01:03:13,240 --> 01:03:19,000 Speaker 1: all so powerful, inspiring and impactful. I was really touched 1013 01:03:19,040 --> 01:03:22,439 Speaker 1: by how emotional it is for them still to this day, 1014 01:03:22,480 --> 01:03:27,120 Speaker 1: almost twenty years later. Here's clay. It's never natural to lose, 1015 01:03:27,320 --> 01:03:29,720 Speaker 1: to lose your child, that's for sure, no matter what 1016 01:03:29,840 --> 01:03:35,000 Speaker 1: the cause. And uh, you know that that whole just 1017 01:03:35,120 --> 01:03:39,120 Speaker 1: remains there, and it's I'm afraid it's a bit like 1018 01:03:39,200 --> 01:03:43,040 Speaker 1: an open sore. It's always there, you know. Does it 1019 01:03:43,120 --> 01:03:48,240 Speaker 1: get easier, yes, it gets easier. Um, But as you 1020 01:03:48,320 --> 01:03:53,400 Speaker 1: can tell, just those memories never leave you, those feelings 1021 01:03:53,800 --> 01:03:59,480 Speaker 1: never leave you. The sense of loss will always be there, 1022 01:03:59,520 --> 01:04:03,880 Speaker 1: I think, no matter how old I could. Oh, but 1023 01:04:04,000 --> 01:04:09,320 Speaker 1: we've been very blessed as a family and that we've 1024 01:04:09,360 --> 01:04:15,400 Speaker 1: always stayed together. Were from a close um. Everybody has 1025 01:04:15,400 --> 01:04:18,520 Speaker 1: pitched him with the efforts around here and gets cancer 1026 01:04:18,960 --> 01:04:23,560 Speaker 1: has just been a part of our lives, um, you know, 1027 01:04:23,720 --> 01:04:26,880 Speaker 1: day after day, year after year, and and Grania never 1028 01:04:26,960 --> 01:04:30,000 Speaker 1: gives up. I mean she just really never gives up. 1029 01:04:30,080 --> 01:04:34,480 Speaker 1: I have my regular, you know job as a as 1030 01:04:34,520 --> 01:04:37,760 Speaker 1: a pr guy at a T and T. But she 1031 01:04:38,040 --> 01:04:43,720 Speaker 1: goes into the arena every week every day and she, uh, 1032 01:04:43,920 --> 01:04:51,080 Speaker 1: she slays the dragons. Tell any person who has a 1033 01:04:51,200 --> 01:04:56,320 Speaker 1: child to think to lose that child. For me, I 1034 01:04:56,320 --> 01:04:58,080 Speaker 1: don't'm not sure that I would be able to go 1035 01:04:58,160 --> 01:05:03,760 Speaker 1: on let alone, you know, be able to do what 1036 01:05:03,960 --> 01:05:06,960 Speaker 1: you've done, what you're still doing to try to make 1037 01:05:07,000 --> 01:05:13,680 Speaker 1: a difference. I I questioned my own ability and strength 1038 01:05:13,840 --> 01:05:16,800 Speaker 1: and resolve to be able to sort of get up 1039 01:05:18,120 --> 01:05:22,960 Speaker 1: and do something about it, as opposed to wallowing in 1040 01:05:23,000 --> 01:05:29,200 Speaker 1: your own sort of loss, which is totally understandable. I 1041 01:05:29,240 --> 01:05:33,800 Speaker 1: mean totally understandable. But for you to now I have 1042 01:05:34,000 --> 01:05:36,400 Speaker 1: done what you've done and continue to do is just 1043 01:05:36,520 --> 01:05:43,200 Speaker 1: so inspiring, honestly. I The thing is that I did 1044 01:05:43,240 --> 01:05:47,280 Speaker 1: not have the luxury of feeling sorry for myself because 1045 01:05:47,840 --> 01:05:50,680 Speaker 1: that would have been way too selfish because I had 1046 01:05:50,720 --> 01:05:56,360 Speaker 1: three other boys that needed me, and they saved me 1047 01:05:56,400 --> 01:06:01,600 Speaker 1: from myself. Um it was trying to humphort them, was 1048 01:06:02,200 --> 01:06:06,200 Speaker 1: you know? The first anniversary was when I realized that 1049 01:06:06,600 --> 01:06:11,280 Speaker 1: I had a purpose, I had something that I just 1050 01:06:11,440 --> 01:06:14,920 Speaker 1: was absolutely convicted that that was what I was supposed 1051 01:06:14,960 --> 01:06:18,280 Speaker 1: to do. I just I can't explain it to you 1052 01:06:18,760 --> 01:06:24,840 Speaker 1: any simpler than it was. It was a feeling like 1053 01:06:25,160 --> 01:06:29,160 Speaker 1: right in the center of me knowing that that was 1054 01:06:29,800 --> 01:06:33,080 Speaker 1: what I was supposed to go and do. And the 1055 01:06:33,160 --> 01:06:36,800 Speaker 1: one thing that Kellyan could not stand when he was 1056 01:06:36,880 --> 01:06:41,360 Speaker 1: sick was me getting upset If I cried, he lost it. 1057 01:06:42,440 --> 01:06:46,960 Speaker 1: And so I knew that I couldn't. I had spent 1058 01:06:47,040 --> 01:06:51,160 Speaker 1: a year. I really was depressed. I was, I was sad, 1059 01:06:51,200 --> 01:06:56,200 Speaker 1: I was. I was angry. I didn't understand why it 1060 01:06:56,240 --> 01:07:00,880 Speaker 1: had happened, and other people's children were being better and 1061 01:07:00,920 --> 01:07:06,000 Speaker 1: mine didn't, And you know it, I was. I was 1062 01:07:06,200 --> 01:07:10,200 Speaker 1: very angry. I was angry at God. And I think 1063 01:07:10,560 --> 01:07:14,320 Speaker 1: sitting down with my boys and trying to explain to 1064 01:07:14,440 --> 01:07:19,400 Speaker 1: them why it had happened, and that, you know, not 1065 01:07:19,440 --> 01:07:23,840 Speaker 1: necessarily why it had happened, but that Kellyan was was okay. 1066 01:07:24,320 --> 01:07:29,280 Speaker 1: He was better now, he was being looked after, better 1067 01:07:29,320 --> 01:07:32,320 Speaker 1: than we ever could look after him. And I knew 1068 01:07:32,440 --> 01:07:36,840 Speaker 1: he was an angel. I just knew it. And I 1069 01:07:36,880 --> 01:07:41,280 Speaker 1: think that like kicked me out of my self pity, 1070 01:07:41,320 --> 01:07:44,240 Speaker 1: and it made me realize that Kellyan would want me 1071 01:07:44,280 --> 01:07:46,760 Speaker 1: to get off my ass and do something. Do you 1072 01:07:46,760 --> 01:07:51,480 Speaker 1: think Killan would be proud of you? Oh? Oh, I 1073 01:07:51,480 --> 01:07:56,560 Speaker 1: don't know. I think I think he would be cheering me. 1074 01:07:57,120 --> 01:07:59,440 Speaker 1: I know he cheers me on. He tells me to 1075 01:07:59,480 --> 01:08:04,480 Speaker 1: kick our all the time. UM. So I'm sorry you'll 1076 01:08:04,520 --> 01:08:07,280 Speaker 1: probably have to edit that out now, aren't you. Um? 1077 01:08:07,880 --> 01:08:13,120 Speaker 1: But yes, he's he is if he was such a happy, 1078 01:08:13,200 --> 01:08:15,960 Speaker 1: determined little chap that I know he's up there cheering 1079 01:08:16,000 --> 01:08:19,639 Speaker 1: us on all the time, and my God, studences happened 1080 01:08:19,920 --> 01:08:23,000 Speaker 1: because of him. I'm convinced of that. We've had so 1081 01:08:23,040 --> 01:08:26,479 Speaker 1: many things happen that have helped us along the way, 1082 01:08:26,640 --> 01:08:29,280 Speaker 1: and we've been so blessed with the with the people 1083 01:08:29,320 --> 01:08:31,960 Speaker 1: who have helped us along the way that I know 1084 01:08:32,160 --> 01:08:35,960 Speaker 1: that that's because he's up there watching overs. He's our 1085 01:08:36,000 --> 01:08:41,920 Speaker 1: guardian angel. How old are up your boys now? Oh? Gosh, okay, 1086 01:08:42,040 --> 01:08:46,000 Speaker 1: so my eldest is now thirty. Um, Killian's twin is 1087 01:08:46,040 --> 01:08:52,120 Speaker 1: twenty eight and my baby is twenty five? And do 1088 01:08:52,160 --> 01:08:55,760 Speaker 1: you have any grandkids or what's this status? Well yet not, yeah, 1089 01:08:55,760 --> 01:08:57,800 Speaker 1: but I am looking forward to that. I wish they'd 1090 01:08:57,800 --> 01:09:02,080 Speaker 1: hurry up. But don't tell him. I said that. Do 1091 01:09:02,160 --> 01:09:08,320 Speaker 1: you know the name Emily Whitehead? I do, so. Apparently 1092 01:09:08,479 --> 01:09:14,360 Speaker 1: she is she is the first, first, the first one 1093 01:09:14,439 --> 01:09:17,679 Speaker 1: to really get this this treatment she is, she's got 1094 01:09:17,800 --> 01:09:23,040 Speaker 1: and I think it's basically because of what started with 1095 01:09:23,160 --> 01:09:27,360 Speaker 1: Killian ended up becoming the first treatment for Emily, who's now, 1096 01:09:27,680 --> 01:09:31,920 Speaker 1: you know, living, the first one to successfully be treated. 1097 01:09:33,920 --> 01:09:36,840 Speaker 1: Family's hell, she's she's basically on her death Betton, Yeah, 1098 01:09:36,840 --> 01:09:40,960 Speaker 1: the treatments, you know what. Hours days later, she's like 1099 01:09:41,280 --> 01:09:45,320 Speaker 1: feeling better. I mean, truly her uncle. I'll leave you 1100 01:09:45,360 --> 01:09:49,720 Speaker 1: with this. In May, Emily Whitehead and her family celebrated 1101 01:09:49,760 --> 01:09:53,479 Speaker 1: ten years of being cancer free and playing for you 1102 01:09:53,600 --> 01:09:57,320 Speaker 1: Now a short story on Emily produced and distributed by 1103 01:09:57,320 --> 01:10:01,320 Speaker 1: the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. You'll hear from Emily and 1104 01:10:01,400 --> 01:10:04,920 Speaker 1: her parents Tom and Carry, and you'll hear again from 1105 01:10:05,040 --> 01:10:14,400 Speaker 1: Dr Grupp. It's definitely a blessing that I don't remember 1106 01:10:14,400 --> 01:10:24,439 Speaker 1: what happened during that time. I really only remember like 1107 01:10:24,520 --> 01:10:27,120 Speaker 1: the fun things like playing air hockey with my dad 1108 01:10:27,400 --> 01:10:31,080 Speaker 1: or doing things like that. So I mean occasionally I'll 1109 01:10:31,080 --> 01:10:33,040 Speaker 1: have to ask, like, when did this happen? Or when 1110 01:10:33,040 --> 01:10:40,160 Speaker 1: did we do this? Because I'm sure that my parents 1111 01:10:40,680 --> 01:10:47,439 Speaker 1: remember everything. Emily was diagnosed when she was five years 1112 01:10:47,479 --> 01:10:51,800 Speaker 1: old with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and they told us that 1113 01:10:51,880 --> 01:10:54,200 Speaker 1: it's the most common type of childhood cancer and also 1114 01:10:54,320 --> 01:10:59,120 Speaker 1: the most treatable. But once you relapse, and relapse more 1115 01:10:59,160 --> 01:11:02,080 Speaker 1: than once like Emily did, there are fewer options to 1116 01:11:02,160 --> 01:11:06,080 Speaker 1: treat that. I got to the point to where they said, here, 1117 01:11:06,160 --> 01:11:09,320 Speaker 1: we don't have any more options for her and um, 1118 01:11:09,320 --> 01:11:11,080 Speaker 1: we think it's time for you to take her home 1119 01:11:12,200 --> 01:11:17,960 Speaker 1: and she'll have a couple of weeks left. We just 1120 01:11:18,120 --> 01:11:21,080 Speaker 1: looked at each other and said we have to call TOP. 1121 01:11:23,320 --> 01:11:26,360 Speaker 1: At that point in time, her treating doctors are saying 1122 01:11:26,640 --> 01:11:30,479 Speaker 1: the only option for a patient in this situation is hospice. 1123 01:11:30,960 --> 01:11:35,280 Speaker 1: Family didn't want that answer, and by an amazing series 1124 01:11:35,320 --> 01:11:39,080 Speaker 1: of events, this Carte trial opened at the exact moment 1125 01:11:39,080 --> 01:11:43,280 Speaker 1: that she needed it. We know how close we were 1126 01:11:43,320 --> 01:11:47,160 Speaker 1: to losing her, but finding something outside the box that 1127 01:11:47,240 --> 01:11:50,880 Speaker 1: was a little bit different gave us hope. Dr group 1128 01:11:51,080 --> 01:11:53,240 Speaker 1: was up front saying, we don't know what's going to happen, 1129 01:11:53,680 --> 01:11:56,719 Speaker 1: but we knew that we were surrounded by a great 1130 01:11:56,760 --> 01:12:00,640 Speaker 1: team who just wanted to help Emily, and um, you know, 1131 01:12:00,640 --> 01:12:02,400 Speaker 1: if we try this and it doesn't work, we know 1132 01:12:02,479 --> 01:12:06,760 Speaker 1: that we did try everything that was out there. We 1133 01:12:06,840 --> 01:12:16,120 Speaker 1: did everything we possibly could over the next twenty four hours. 1134 01:12:16,160 --> 01:12:19,000 Speaker 1: That was the scariest part of her treatment. Those cells 1135 01:12:19,120 --> 01:12:23,639 Speaker 1: killing the cancer so fast overwhelmed her system and things 1136 01:12:23,640 --> 01:12:28,160 Speaker 1: were just kept getting worse. She got so sick that 1137 01:12:28,200 --> 01:12:31,240 Speaker 1: we didn't think she was going to make it. We 1138 01:12:31,320 --> 01:12:34,400 Speaker 1: identified a number of these proteins that were unbelievably high, 1139 01:12:34,600 --> 01:12:37,160 Speaker 1: but one of them was actually a protein that we 1140 01:12:37,200 --> 01:12:41,320 Speaker 1: had a drug for. We gave her that drug and 1141 01:12:41,520 --> 01:12:50,719 Speaker 1: that changed everything. She won't come actually on her seventh 1142 01:12:50,720 --> 01:12:53,200 Speaker 1: birthday on May second of two thousand and twelve, and 1143 01:12:53,240 --> 01:12:57,040 Speaker 1: then they tested her. Doctor Grupp said to me, this 1144 01:12:57,080 --> 01:13:00,840 Speaker 1: is amazing. We don't see any cancer. You know. We 1145 01:13:00,920 --> 01:13:06,080 Speaker 1: just thought, let's see what happened, and then it just 1146 01:13:25,360 --> 01:13:30,160 Speaker 1: this was so exciting within the field of cancer therapy. 1147 01:13:31,479 --> 01:13:33,680 Speaker 1: I feel like her experience with cart has in some 1148 01:13:33,760 --> 01:13:37,400 Speaker 1: ways changed the world. We learned that we could do 1149 01:13:37,479 --> 01:13:40,320 Speaker 1: this in kids. We learned how to control the toxicity. 1150 01:13:40,720 --> 01:13:49,320 Speaker 1: We learned that we could skip bone arrow transplants. I 1151 01:13:49,360 --> 01:13:53,400 Speaker 1: always like to thank the team at TOP. Without them, 1152 01:13:53,400 --> 01:13:56,880 Speaker 1: I wouldn't be here and having the opportunity to leave 1153 01:13:56,920 --> 01:13:59,400 Speaker 1: the hospital and come home and just live a normal 1154 01:13:59,479 --> 01:14:03,280 Speaker 1: life and have things like going to college or getting 1155 01:14:03,320 --> 01:14:07,360 Speaker 1: my license. It's so important to families who have had 1156 01:14:07,400 --> 01:14:12,559 Speaker 1: to go through cancer treatment. So I always like to 1157 01:14:12,560 --> 01:14:15,759 Speaker 1: tell families and children right now who are in treatment 1158 01:14:16,000 --> 01:14:19,439 Speaker 1: that it is really important to never give up and 1159 01:14:19,479 --> 01:14:22,040 Speaker 1: to always keep believing in yourself and in the words 1160 01:14:22,040 --> 01:14:24,720 Speaker 1: of my dad, to find something to smile about every day. 1161 01:14:26,040 --> 01:14:29,120 Speaker 1: Just finding that little ray of hope can really help 1162 01:14:29,120 --> 01:14:32,799 Speaker 1: you through some hard times. Do I believe Emily's cured? 1163 01:14:33,120 --> 01:14:36,040 Speaker 1: Do I believe the other children who are five, six, seven, eight, 1164 01:14:36,160 --> 01:14:40,080 Speaker 1: nine years out from their therapy are cured. I believe 1165 01:14:40,120 --> 01:14:40,400 Speaker 1: they are