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Penn State Health recruits leading researcher to fight pediatric cancer

An internationally known physician-scientist and her research consortium have joined Penn State Health to continue efforts to eradicate pediatric cancer.

Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine said Dr. Giselle Saulnier Sholler and her research team will be on board Sept. 1 to provide greater access to pediatric care and research, including clinical trials, for Penn State Health patients.

Sholler, a pediatric hematology-oncology clinician and researcher, will serve as the division chief of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital and will be the director of pediatric oncology research at Penn State College of Medicine.

Sholler’s consortium, Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium, is a worldwide network of more than 55 universities and children’s hospitals dedicated to discovering new therapies and cures for children with cancer. It has enrolled more than 1,800 pediatric cancer patients in more than 23 trials to date.

“This is an important and exciting advance toward our vision to be a leader in the fight against childhood cancer, building on strong existing expertise in pediatric cancer care and research,” said Dr. Yatin M. Vyas, vice president and physician leader for Penn State Health Children’s Hospital.

“The research consortium’s vital research and patient trials under Dr. Sholler’s leadership and coordinated by the College of Medicine will save lives and help our Children’s Hospital make enduring impacts across the globe,” Vyas said.

“There is significant value in housing the consortium within an academic medical center, where we can combine the pillars of research and care to advance knowledge, drive medical discoveries and change lives,” said Sholler. “The consortium team and its international infrastructure will ensure that these children have access to a full range of medical services, including more targeted therapies such as precision immunotherapy to fight neuroblastoma, brain tumors, sarcomas and rare cancers in a more directed way.”

Four Diamonds, a leader in childhood cancer care, treatment and innovative research, provided support to bring Sholler and the research consortium to Children’s Hospital and the College of Medicine.

The recruitment follows the creation one year ago of the Four Diamonds Initiative for Childhood Cancer Innovation, a collaboration between Four Diamonds and Penn State Health Children’s Hospital to expand Four Diamonds’ ongoing work to find a cure for all pediatric cancers. That initiative is focused on enabling philanthropic support to help accelerate the timeline for clinical research.

“Bringing Dr. Sholler and the research consortium here to our campus allows us to make significant steps forward in our quest to conquer childhood cancer,” said Suzanne Graney, Four Diamonds executive director. “Together, our organizations and experts in pediatric cancer will continue to provide every Four Diamonds child hope through superior care, comprehensive support and an unwavering commitment to innovative research.”

The College of Medicine will serve as the home of the consortium by providing oncology team members with dedicated research space and opportunities to explore and identify treatments in the field of pediatric oncology.

Penn State Health said their work will then be shared with consortium members across the globe, including the Children’s Hospital, for patient trials.

“The College of Medicine is thrilled to add Dr. Sholler and the Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium to our team of nationally recognized scientists in Hershey,” said Dr. Kevin Black, the College of Medicine interim dean. “She and her team are conducting leading-edge research and pioneering treatments and cures in pediatric cancer, giving families hope and supporting our vision to be a world leader in the transformation of health care and in the enhancement of health for people everywhere.”

Sholler joins Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine from Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, N.C., where she is a pediatric hematology and oncology physician.

Mini-THONs raise nearly $5.8 million for childhood cancer treatment, research

Students from hundreds of school districts in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia raised almost $5.8 million in the fight to conquer childhood cancer to benefit Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, it was announced Friday.

The fundraising total from the 2021-22 school year was revealed at the annual Four Diamonds Mini-THON Summit.

Throughout the academic year, student leaders and volunteers from 208 school districts in the five states organized and hosted Mini-THON fundraisers and events. The total more than doubles the previous year’s amount, which was hurt by the pandemic.

Mini-THON is a Four Diamonds program coordinated by K-12 students and is modeled after the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon that benefits Four Diamonds.

The fundraising supports Four Diamonds families at the Children’s Hospital, which is in Hershey, through world-class care and financial support and ground-breaking research for new treatments and cures for childhood cancers.

Since it began 29 years ago, the Mini-THON program has contributed more than $58 million to Four Diamonds.

“We are so grateful for the remarkable young leaders whose energy, enthusiasm and unwavering dedication to conquering childhood cancer drive the Mini-THON movement,” Suzanne Graney, executive director of Four Diamonds, said in a release. “Each student leader is inspiring and empowering their student body and their community to join us as our partners in the fight to end childhood cancer for all kids around the world.”

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer

Four Diamonds funds new cancer innovation center

Dr. Chandrika Gowda, left, collaborates with Dr. Sinisa Dovat on research at Penn State College of Medicine, in this photo taken prior to the pandemic. PHOTO PROVIDED

Penn State Health Children’s Hospital and Penn State College of Medicine, in Hershey, have approved creation of the Four Diamonds Center for Childhood Cancer Innovation, an expansion of Four Diamonds’ work to cure pediatric cancers.

Part of a multi-year strategic plan, the virtual center commits to use $24 million, through the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, from fundraising efforts by Four Diamonds, including Penn State’s THON.

The center fits with Four Diamonds’ mission to provide comprehensive support to children and their families, including paying for 100% of medical expenses related to cancer care not covered by insurance for eligible Four Diamonds children, while expanding clinical research.

A release explained that the center will build upon the work of Four Diamonds in patient care; collaborative opportunities between the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology and the Penn State Cancer Institute; and competitive research grants.

In the patient care area, the center will strive to more precisely identify cancers and develop more personalized treatments that lead to better cure rates and survivorship.

Dr. Yatin Vyas, a pediatric oncologist and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, will oversee the center’s work.

“We are thrilled to continue and expand on Four Diamonds’ pursuit to find a cure for all pediatric cancers,” Vyas said in the release. “We believe philanthropy can ultimately help accelerate the timeline for clinical research and help our investigators discover and get treatments to patients faster. Everyone benefits from a higher level of collaboration, and we are grateful to the generous donors who make this life-saving work possible.”

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer

Penn State Health fundraising campaign sets record

The 2022 THON reveal – PHOTO/PROVIDED

A six-year fundraising campaign raised a record $316.96 million for Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine.

“A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence” ended June 30 and marked the most successful campaign and the most successful fundraising year in the institution’s history, it said. The funds will be used to fulfill its mission to improve health through patient care, education, research and community outreach.

“The spirit of generosity we’ve seen across our organization and our community is astounding,” said Penn State Health CEO Steve Massini. “Throughout the campaign, our donors helped us grow even during the darkest days of the pandemic. They helped us expand our Children’s Hospital, build a new interfaith chapel and establish Penn State Cancer Institute’s Cancer Assistance and Resource Education – or CARE – Center within Hershey Medical Center,” he said.

“Gifts supported lifesaving equipment at our community hospitals and covered the costs of a new ambulance and isolettes for Life Lion’s fleet,” he added. “Thanks to the support of so many, Penn State Health has a very bright future. This is good news for the many thousands of people we serve each year, and we are truly grateful.”

The campaign, which began in 2016, was focused on the three key imperatives of a 21st century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by serving communities and fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship, Massini said.

“Through their extraordinary support, our donors have recognized the tremendous potential that our faculty, students and staff have to enhance human health,” said Dr. Kevin Black, interim dean of Penn State College of Medicine. “In just six years, supporters have more than doubled our scholarship endowment and provided critical resources for recruiting and retaining leading faculty across many disciplines.”

The funds will reduce student debt, add new teaching tools and strategies, create stronger research collaborations, develop novel therapeutics and increase access to cross-cultural training and community outreach initiatives. “Words cannot express our deep appreciation for all the ways our alumni and friends have made the College of Medicine greater,” he said.

Within Penn State Health and the College of Medicine, top campaign gifts and priorities included:

More than $165 million raised for children’s health by Children’s Miracle Network, Four Diamonds and THON and through gifts made directly to Penn State Health Children’s Hospital
A $25 million gift from Highmark Inc. to advance research, education and care at Penn State Cancer Institute
More than $54 million for research through existing funds and 36 new endowments to support discovery in diverse fields or to advance medical innovation

“Over the last six years, I have been privileged to see the Penn State Health and College of Medicine community – faculty, physicians, students, administration and staff, alumni and friends – join together to overcome unprecedented challenges and achieve unparalleled success,” said Peter Tombros, volunteer campaign chair.

Charles Millard, co-founder of Four Diamonds dies

Charles Millard seen on stage at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center for THON 2018. PHOTO/PROVIDED

Charles Millard, co-founder of Four Diamonds, died this morning in Washington state of a brain injury resulting from a fall he suffered hours earlier. He was 93.

“Charles was humble, thoughtful, caring and good humored,” said Suzanne Graney, executive director of Four Diamonds. “He was a gentleman in every sense of the word. I cherish the wonderful memories I have of him. He and his family have inspired me throughout my time at Four Diamonds, and it is a privilege to continue the important work Charles and Irma began.”

Charles and his wife, Irma, co-founded Four Diamonds in 1972, following their son Christopher’s nearly three-year battle with cancer. Their intention was to help other families whose children were fighting cancer at what is now Penn State Health Children’s Hospital.

Since its inception, Four Diamonds has assisted more than 4,800 children and families and raised more than $250 million to conquer childhood cancer, with approximately 70% of those funds coming from THON.

In 1977, Charles traveled to State College with a development officer to participate in a radio program aired on the Penn State student radio station. Fortuitously, one of the students involved in the radio program also was involved in the Penn State Dance Marathon (THON). As a result of that connection through the radio program, Four Diamonds was selected as the beneficiary of all proceeds from the 1977 event and soon after became the sole beneficiary of all THON proceeds, according to a Four Diamonds press release. Millard had previously described THON as, “love at first sight.”

The resulting relationship between Four Diamonds and THON has had a monumental impact on the growth of the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology services and research programs at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital and Penn State College of Medicine, fulfilling Millards’ dream of helping children and families facing childhood cancer, the release said. When previously asked about the impact that had been made so far, Millard said, “When you bring together good people for an important cause, there are no limits.”

The name of Four Diamonds was taken from an essay that Christopher Millard wrote shortly before his death. The story tells of a knight’s quest for four diamonds – courage, wisdom, honesty and strength – needed to overcome an evil sorceress, and was symbolic of the characteristics Christopher’s family believed were necessary in his cancer battle. In the story, it is believed that Charles was the inspiration for the diamond of honesty.

A memorial service to celebrate his life will be planned, with details shared at a later date.

Women in Leadership: Suzanne Graney

In a late-afternoon Zoom call, Suzanne Graney smiles as she reflects on the bond she forged with a Four Diamonds family. She is the executive director of the Hershey-based organization, which seeks to defeat childhood cancer and supports children and families in the fight against it at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital.

“I love when I get a text like, ‘Hey, he just hit this baseball, and he’s able to play baseball because Four Diamonds helped save his life,’” she said. “Those are things that help you get past the pieces that are sad.”

It’s emotional work, and Graney is happy to be real about it.

“I think it’s really important to talk about the fact that there is an emotional component to the work that we do in any nonprofit space,” she said. “We are about changing and saving people’s lives, and that comes with pain. Figuring out our own healthy ways of dealing with that pain is part of our responsibility as professionals so that we can show up as compassionate and caring individuals to help drive our missions forward.”

Four Diamonds and THON – Penn State’s dance marathon and fundraiser benefiting Four Diamonds – are entering their 50th anniversaries. In the Q&A below, Graney reflects on her role and the mission. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Describe the moment you fell in love with Four Diamonds’ mission.

Pretty early on, there were two very compelling stories.

One was a single mom who was talking about her son who was a teenager in the middle of a fight, and she said, “You know, you didn’t just take that financial burden off of me. You took it off my son.” It kind of hit me, like, wow, what tremendous guilt must go along with this for somebody who is diagnosed. I hadn’t really thought about that perspective up to that point. It was such a powerful revelation because I thought about what this means to the parents who are the financial managers of the family and hadn’t really thought about, in addition to the fear and the pain that goes along with treatment, to have that guilt and be able to take that away – what a tremendous gift that is for a family.

The other story was the first patient I got to meet who unfortunately died during that year, a couple weeks before THON. I started my role in September and THON was coming down the pike in February, so five months in, I knew I was going to be in this big, huge event. I got to THON, and I kept seeing students holding up this inflatable giraffe, and I couldn’t figure out what this giraffe was about. The students who were holding that up were the THON organization that this young woman’s family was paired with, and her favorite animal was a giraffe. Those students were holding it to honor her.

It was so powerful to see how deep the connections are, how meaningful these relationships are and the privilege I have in this role to connect our community to these families, the students and to introduce to our community why this is important, who it is that we fight for and why we still fight.

How do you balance the emotional aspect of this job?

We talk about it as a team because it’s important for the team to know it’s OK to feel and we want to feel. I’ve thought to myself the day that I stop crying about this is the day I shouldn’t be doing this because we’re talking about human life, opportunity, dreams, possibilities and the power that we have collectively to positively impact somebody’s life when they’re facing cancer and helping them to thrive and survive afterwards. I’ve had to have healthy boundaries, as do all of the team members, and we help each other.

Just this morning, I got an update from our social work team members about three patients we lost recently. So, the note back was about, “I wish I could give you a hug in person. I hope you know how much I appreciate the compassionate care you give to every one of our patients and how important it is that you do what you do.” We make sure that we are having that acknowledgement of the fact that it does hurt, but we also show up when there’s celebration, too. We are joyful. When somebody is ringing that bell and they’re off treatment, that is a big deal, and it deserves great celebration. When somebody hits five years past their treatment and they’re officially cancer-free, that is a day of celebration.

What are the challenges facing nonprofits and philanthropic entities?

You would probably expect me to say that raising money and the competition for dollars is the hardest thing. I actually don’t ascribe to that philosophy. I think we live in a world of abundance, and I feel very strongly that inherently at our core, humans want to help each other. My role is really about facilitating how to do that and providing an opportunity to do that.

It’s an ongoing challenge to juggle between what are the immediate needs of keeping the annual operation going and finding the time to step out of that annual cycle and be able to take the time to explore what is working, what can be improved, where are there opportunities and how to take advantage of those opportunities. It is always worthwhile when you make the time for that long-term, strategic look, but it is hard to juggle those immediate needs and that longer term piece.

I also think there’s a challenge every nonprofit faces in finding the balance between the cost to raise a dollar and having what you need. When your heart is in the mission, you feel that responsibility to use every single dollar wisely and well. That is our responsibility and ultimately we’re all working for the fulfillment of whatever mission we’re driving for, but I have found if we’re not investing in things like technology, staff development or sustainable solutions for longer term impact, we’re not taking advantage of the opportunity to grow and have a greater impact. Being solution-focused and not looking at it as problems in the nonprofit space but looking for solutions is an ongoing mindset that I have to self-correct on frequently, and when I do, that’s when I find that doors open and the path is provided.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: ‘Why this child? Why at all?’

On June 28, 2017, my husband Joe and I received the fateful news that our daughter Sophia, aka Wonder Woman, had a mass on her brain.

This news came after weeks of Sophia being sick off and on; after numerous desperate trips to the pediatrician for answers; after a great deal of blood work with the only indication being celiac disease (this Mama Bear knew celiac was not causing her daughter to be so sick); after we took Sophia to the ER at Penn State Hershey Medical Center on June 24 because she was severely dehydrated (we haven’t left); after an endoscopy was done to confirm celiac (in the end it still isn’t clear if she has it or not); and after a bad night of sleep with a headache that Tylenol didn’t touch led Sophia’s GI team to call for an MRI of the brain.

A biopsy of the mass confirmed the tumor was malignant.

It was not lost on me that Sophia’s oncologist never used the word cancer, always referring to “the tumor” or “this type of tumor.” Maybe that is why I myself have been slow to use the word.

More likely than not though, it is because I don’t want to admit that my child has cancer. That she is now a statistic. That she is now a face of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

You may have noticed that some of your friends on Facebook are changing their profile pictures and “Going Gold” for the month of September in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Quite a number of municipalities are also “Going Gold” thanks to efforts by people like Christopher Winters, one of the first to welcome me to the pediatric cancer community. As he likes to say, “We are all family.”

Despite still trying to find my place in this community and not being one that usually advocates awareness months, I am joining them in “Going Gold” for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month because life is not the same as it was nearly three months ago. As someone I work with once told me: “Where you sit is where you stand.” I quite literally sit by my child’s hospital bed as she fights a rare form of brain cancer. Therefore, I now stand with my newfound community in advocating for Childhood Cancer Awareness.

I know that this month means different things to different people. For me, it is just as much about raising funds to find cures as it is to educate others, particularly parents and even doctors, of the need to consider cancer as a possibility when a child is sick.

Just as important as finding cures is figuring out why our precious little ones are fighting these “villains” – the term we use to refer to our little Wonder Woman’s cancer.

I struggle with the lack of interest – or maybe this is my perception in my current state of mind – in researching the why and how of childhood cancer.

Yes, we need to research cutting-edge treatments. But personally, I want to understand why my bright, beautiful, funny, healthy kid who only ever had the typical cold got slammed with cancer. And not a “typical” well-known cancer. No, my kid had to be attacked by a cancer that has stumped seasoned professionals at multiple institutions in this country. So, we are stuck in the middle – we have no solid research to guide her medical team to treat her, and we have no one seemingly interested in determining what caused this cancer in the first place.

If we truly want to tackle childhood cancer, along with finding cures, we need to answer questions.

What caused this particular cancer?

What triggered her cancer?

Why at this point in her life and not later?

Why this child?

Why at all?

So many questions that will most likely go unanswered for Sophia, but should continue to be asked if we truly want to make a difference in the world of pediatric cancer.

Yes, I want my child healed. So, yes, I want her medical team focused on solving the problem before them.

But I also want to understand what happened to Sophia, and in turn, help prevent other kiddos and their families from being dealt this terrible blow.

Throughout September, please keep Sophia and other children battling this vicious disease – as well as those who have either won or lost their battles – in your thoughts.

But also please take the time to learn more about childhood cancer. I’m living in the midst of it, but am self-admittedly ignorant when it comes to the big picture.

And parents, trust your gut and be the advocate your child needs you to be when they are sick. Educate yourself and demand things be ruled out. It was beyond frustrating at the time, and it hurts my heart now to know how many weeks we lost to a very aggressive type of cancer.

I realize that if this issue hasn’t impacted you directly, it may be easy to overlook.

But as Sophia has shown us, cancer can hit any child and family out of the blue, and it can be devastating for a beautiful, full-of-life child with a very bright future ahead of her.

For more information on childhood cancer and how you can get involved with related events visit Four Diamonds.

Erin Kelly Marsicano, 38, is mom to Sophia, the most famous redheaded Wonder Woman, and wife to Joe, her hysterical blonde Italian husband. Outside of their current home of Hershey Med Center, Erin and her family live in Mechanicsburg in a new-to-them 1800’s farmhouse, and she works in Pennsylvania’s beautiful Capitol building.

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Mini-THONs raise nearly $5.8 million for childhood cancer treatment, research

Four Diamonds funds new cancer innovation center

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: ‘Why this child? Why at all?’