“I was introduced to CURE by Kristin Connor when she reached out to me about honoring Dr. Ragab at the CURE Believe Ball in May 2017. Our family presented Dr. Ragab with an award for his efforts in treating children, including myself, with childhood cancer. When I was 17 months old in 1971, I was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma on my prostate and bladder. I was given less than a 10% chance to live. Doctors in St. Louis, MO, including Dr. Ragab, treated me with radiation and chemotherapy. I also had surgery to remove the cancerous tumor and damaged organs. The doctors who prescribed these treatments saved my life when there was little hope for my parents. I am passionate about CURE’s mission because it is deeply personal to me and my family. The efforts and commitment of Dr. Ragab and the other doctor’s that treated me when I was just 17 months old saved my life and for that I am eternally grateful. For me, there is no better dedication of my efforts and service to a cause than CURE, whose funding helps support the important life-saving and hope-giving work of doctors and scientists that have committed their careers to saving children from cancer. I am excited about the opportunities to help CURE achieve its goals and I look forward to the opportunity to contribute my time and resources to the important cause of defeating childhood cancer and providing hope for families in their time of need.”
