Meghan Gambichler, 16, has raised over $20,000 to support the
Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
at Children's Hospital of New Jersey, part of Newark Beth Israel
Medical Center.
Newark, NJ – Meghan
Gambichler’s indomitable spirit is the first thing that strikes
you about this 16 year old. She has battled T-Cell Lymphoblastic
Lymphoma for the past two years with the help of the Valerie Fund
Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s
Hospital of New Jersey (CHNJ), part of Newark Beth Israel Medical
Center and an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System.
In spite of her personal struggles, Meghan continues to find ways
to raise awareness of childhood cancer and the special needs of
children undergoing treatment by raising funds for CHNJ’s
Valerie Fund Center.
“I have great friends but I can’t expect them to really
understand what I’m going through,” says Meghan, who
lives in Roseland, NJ. “When I go for my treatments it
is important for me to have other kids there with me. We can talk,
watch T.V. and play games, and before I know it my treatment is
over. It makes me feel so comfortable to have other kids to talk
to,” she explains. “Nobody should have to go through
this treatment without that sense of comfort.”
To support the programs of the Valerie Fund Center at CHNJ and
provide for children facing cancer in the future, Meghan has raised
over $20,000 through neighborhood car washes, walkathons, selling
bracelets and t-shirts, and most recently as a tribute to her grandmother
who died unexpectedly in September. Among the projects the funds
she has generated will help to support are transportation for children
in need of treatment, new toys for the Center, and a renovation
of the infusion room.
The Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood
Disorders at CHNJ uses a multidisciplinary approach in offering
comprehensive care for children and young adults with cancer. The
Center provides medical and psycho-social care at the time of diagnosis,
during treatment and long-term care after the end of treatment
in its state-of-the-art facility. The Center is dedicated to providing
everything necessary to meet the ambulatory medical needs of children
and their families, and to recognize the important role every family
plays in a young child's life. Every effort is made to ensure that
families are as comfortable as possible and kids are allowed to
simply be kids.
Meghan was fourteen when she was first diagnosed with lymphoma.
She has spent countless days in the Valerie Fund Center at CHNJ,
at first on an every day basis and more recently every other week
now that she is in the maintenance phase of her treatment. The
ambitious high school junior has continued her education through
home schooling and has even played a key role in managing her high
school’s basketball team for which she will earn a varsity
letter. A soccer, basketball and softball player, as well as student
council member, Meghan is anxious to return to school later in
the year after undergoing hip replacement surgery, required as
a result of side effects of her long-term treatment.
While she has been unable to play sports, Meghan has focused on
her other interests such as writing, drawing, arts and crafts and
listening to music. But most notable is her resolve to raise awareness
and understanding of the larger community of pediatric cancer patients
through her support of CHNJ’s Valerie Fund Center. “I
love proposing ideas and coming up with ways to help other children,” says
Meghan. “I want more people to know about the important role
the Valerie Fund Center at CHNJ plays in the lives of children.”
As she continues her maintenance treatment, home schooling, fundraising
and hobbies, Meghan looks toward the future with abundant determination. “I’m
thinking about becoming a doctor,” she reflects. “After
all, who better to treat someone than someone like me who has already
been through cancer.”
Children's Hospital of New Jersey, located at Newark Beth Israel
Medical Center and part of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System,
is the state's premier hospital caring for children, with specialized
services to treat ill and injured children from newborn to adolescent
years as well as preventive programs that promote wellness in the
community. For a referral to a pediatrician or pediatric specialist,
please call 1-888-724-7123. Follow us on Twitter: get real time
news from the Saint Barnabas Health Care System at www.twitter.com/barnabas_health.
Date: November 23, 2009
CONTACT: Lisa Blumert
(973) 322-4921
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