Some Days are Heavy. Some Days Shine. Today Was Both.

There are days in this fight against pediatric cancer that are unbearably heavy—laden with grief, loss, and the weight of what this disease has taken. And then, there are days that glimmer with hope—where purpose feels stronger than pain, and the path forward becomes just a little bit clearer.

Today was both.

With tears in my eyes and my heart wide open, I experienced one of the most unforgettable, soul-stirring moments of my life: the incredible honor of meeting with
Dr. Andrew Kung, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK), and Dr. Jess Black, a passionate physician and dedicated researcher at MSK.

I walked into this meeting carrying two powerful, deeply personal stories—one of survival, and one of unimaginable loss. These stories are the foundation of who I am and why I refuse to stop fighting.

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A Personal Story That Changed Everything
Twenty-three years ago, my world was shaken when my mother was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer most commonly seen in children and young adults. She was an adult at the time, but that didn’t make the diagnosis any less terrifying.

Her survival was not guaranteed. In fact, it was only made possible because of the groundbreaking research that came out of Memorial Sloan Kettering. That research didn’t just save her life—it gave me more time with her. More birthdays. More hugs. More moments. That gift is something I treasure beyond words, and it’s one I will never take for granted.

But then came Tessa—my sweet girl, my soul-sister, my reason.

Tessa wasn’t just a fighter—she was a firework. Bright, joyful, brave, and full of life. She lit up every room she entered, even in the darkest days of treatment. She gave everything she had in the fight against cancer. But sometimes, no matter how fierce the spirit, the disease wins.

Tessa didn’t survive. And losing her carved a permanent wound in my soul—one that still aches with every breath.

But in that pain, I found purpose.
Tessa became my why. She is the reason I work harder, speak louder, raise more, and never, ever stop. I made her a promise—to carry the mission forward. And today, I took a big step in keeping that promise.

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A Moment of Clarity
In today’s meeting with Dr. Kung and Dr. Black, I shared my heart. I told them about my mother, about Tessa, and about the journey of Whip Pediatric Cancer—an organization born out of loss but fueled by love and determination.

For years, we’ve focused our efforts on two critical fronts:

• Supporting families with quality of life care—helping them survive the day-to-day storms of pediatric cancer

• Funding research—to create a better tomorrow and ultimately, a cure

But today, something shifted. It became crystal clear.
Quality of life supports the todays.
Research creates the tomorrows.

And with that clarity came a renewed sense of purpose.

I am proud, humbled, and filled with hope to announce that from this day forward, 100% of the proceeds raised by Whip Pediatric Cancer will go directly to fund research—specifically, to a treatment that could change everything we thought we knew about pediatric cancer.

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A Breakthrough Worth Fighting For: CAR T Cell Therapy
The research we are committed to funding centers around Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy.

This isn’t just another form of chemotherapy. It’s not another toxic protocol that breaks down little bodies while offering little in return. CAR T therapy is something altogether different—something filled with true hope.

This revolutionary treatment takes a child’s own immune cells and re-engineers them to recognize, target, and destroy cancer cells. No guesswork. No indiscriminate damage. Just precision medicine working in harmony with the body’s own defenses.

Initial studies have shown remarkable promise—particularly in cancers like neuroblastoma, sarcomas, and brain tumors—some of the deadliest and most treatment-resistant pediatric diagnoses.

But what truly sets CAR T therapy apart is that it’s less toxic and more targeted. That means kids won’t have to spend years enduring brutal chemotherapy or radiation. It means they might actually survive and still have their childhood. It means not just more time—but a real future.

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For Tessa. For Every Child.
Every dollar we raise, every event we host, every ounce of energy Whip Pediatric Cancer pours into this fight will now be focused on funding CAR T cell therapy research.

And it’s all being done in Tessa’s name.

She may no longer walk this earth, but her spirit guides every decision, every mission, every milestone. Tessa believed in this cause. She championed our work with a heart so full of love, and now, her legacy will live on through research that could save the lives of countless children.

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A Call to Stand With Us
This isn’t just an update. This is an invitation.

To those who have stood beside us, cried with us, cheered with us, donated, volunteered, or simply held these children in your hearts—we need you now more than ever.

Join us in bringing this therapy to more hospitals. Join us in changing the prognosis for families who are running out of hope. Join us in building a future where pediatric cancer is not a life sentence.

Because together, we can do more than remember those we’ve lost—we can honor them by creating a world where fewer families experience that kind of grief.

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Today Was Unforgettable
Today, grief stood beside hope.
Today, purpose became power.
Today, we made a promise: to give children not just more birthdays—but a real shot at life.

For Tessa. For every child. For the tomorrows waiting to be written.