I'm shaving my head to raise money for childhood cancer research! Did you know that kids' cancers are different from adult cancers? It's true. And childhood cancer research is extremely underfunded. Inspired by one of my students, I decided to do something about it by raising money for cures

I first met Olivia when she arrived in my class as a new ninth grader at the National Cathedral School (NCS). A gymnast outside of school, she had joined the JV volleyball team preseason to get to know some of her new schoolmates sooner. As she settled into the school year, becoming a daily contributor to conversations in her English class, Olivia continued both sports into the fall. In the spring of that year, Olivia somehow resisted my efforts to recruit her for the JV softball team I coached as she had discovered other ways of hurling herself through space as part of the diving team.

My heart broke for Olivia and her family last year when learned she had been diagnosed with osteosarcoma and faced a brutal treatment regimen that included knee replacement surgery and rounds of chemotherapy as the treatment for osteosarcoma has not progressed in forty years.

Olivia landed in my English class again last fall as she was completing her chemo. Olivia’s courage and strength in enduring the treatment for her cancer inspired the entire class. Olivia gained strength through the semester until she was once again a pivotal player in daily discussions, an astute reader, and careful literary critic.

When I learned that Olivia and her family had started raising money to fund research into treatment for osteosarcoma, I immediately began calculating how much I could afford to give to the effort. However, when I reflected on Olivia’s valor in the face of a disease no one, much less someone so young, should face, and I thought about Olivia’s desire to save other people the trauma of the treatment she had endured, I realized I could do more.

After consulting with Olivia and her family, I decided to issue a challenge to the NCS community and those connected to us. This community has already been very generous in supporting Olivia and her fundraising efforts, but I am hoping we can be even more generous. If the NCS community increases the amount it contributes to St. Baldrick’s to $18,000 in the next two weeks, I will shave my head in solidarity with chemo patients during the last upper school assembly of the year on June 4. I hope someone will video the event, so I may share with everyone who contributes the sacrifice of my trademark silver locks to improving treatment for osteosarcoma.

So, please join one of the NCS teams and make whatever contribution you can as soon as possible. 

Now I need your help! Will you make a donation? Every dollar makes a difference for the thousands of infants, children, teens, and young adults fighting childhood cancers.