In October 2008, six-year-old Samson was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a brain tumor. Seeking the very best treatment, Samson and his family relocated from New York to Boston for six weeks so Samson could receive proton therapy at Mass General’s Francis H. Burr Proton Therapy Center under the care of Nancy Tarbell, MD, David Ebb, MD, and Rachel Bolton, RN.
Throughout surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, Samson earned his nickname, “Samson the Brave,” every day. Following this harrowing experience, Samson’s parents, Jeff and Kim, were extremely grateful for their son’s recovery and decided to give back. They got involved with A Kids’ Brain Tumor Cure (AKBTC), a foundation dedicated to funding research to eradicate brain tumors in children.
In 2011, Jeff, Kim and their three sons, Samson, Jonah and Zac, hosted the first annual Think Fit For Kids Family Fitness & Fun Festival to benefit AKBTC. They brought their community together to raise awareness and funds for a disease that has impacted too many families in their small town. In just four years, Think Fit For Kids has raised close to $1 million.
Think Fit For Kids’ focus on targeted therapies for pediatric brain tumors is helping to create movement in this vital and growing field of research. In 2012, Think Fit For Kids awarded a grant to a research team led by Miguel Rivera, MD, at the Mass General Cancer Center, and the project is showing promising results. In a time when research funding can be difficult to obtain, Think Fit For Kids, Jeff, Kim and their family are giving hope to other patients and families facing daunting pediatric brain tumors.
