1Voice Foundation – Supporting Pediatric Cancer Patients While Seeking a Cure

Our family’s relationship with 1Voice Foundation founder Mary Ann Massolio began when my wife, Beth, worked in branding and publicity in Tampa. Part of Beth’s job was to help generate buzz for 1Voice, which is dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer and was started by Mary Ann in remembrance of her son, Jay, who was lost to that dread disease when he was 9.

What began as a professional obligation became a personal passion for Beth, as well as for me. There is nothing more insidious than pediatric cancer. It is one of the great scourges of our world. This has to change.

And that’s what 1Voice is trying to do. There are three components of the 1Voice Foundation’s mission:

• The Cause — Providing families with vital Information and resources about various forms of childhood cancer, treatment facilities and options.
• The Care — Providing families with support and assistance, both emotionally and financially, during their battle against childhood cancer.
• The Cure — Funding research that will lead to treatments that are less toxic to children and increase survival rates

The dream originally was to raise enough money to fund the construction and long-term operation of a school designed specifically to cater to the particular needs of pediatric cancer patients. The school would create a safe, contained environment in which kids could interact with other patients and know they are not alone in their fight.

Another aspect of the 1Voice mission is one of the less-known – but truly ambitious – fronts in the battle against childhood cancer. 1Voice supports the research of Cameron Tebbi, MD, as he and his team attempt to develop a vaccine for childhood leukemia. Tebbi’s research is conducted through the Childhood Cancer Research Group and at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

For more information about the 1Voice Foundation, or to learn how to get involved, click here. Check the 1Voice Foundation Facebook page for periodic updates about Tampa-area fundraisers and events.