Cure Kids Cancer Radiothon Will Benefit Brenner Children's Hospital

August 31, 2006

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Brenner Children's Hospital and WMAG 99.5 will present the Cure Kids Cancer Radiothon live from the children’s hospital’s pediatric oncology unit on September 21 - 23.

The radiothon will be held between the hours of 5:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday. The radio crew will be on the ninth floor of Brenner Children’s Hospital. The event will feature current and former cancer patients, who will tell their stories of hope and triumph to radio personalities including Bill Flynn and Lora Songster. Listeners can phone in donations during the Radiothon by calling 1-888-780-8811.

As the only children’s hospital in this region, Brenner Children’s Hospital offers a dedicated pediatric oncology program. The childhood cancer treatment team at Brenner Children’s Hospital includes pediatric oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, pediatric oncology nurses, specially trained psychologists, social workers, child life specialists, nutritionists and educators who can support and inform the entire family.

The children’s hospital also offers children with cancer the opportunity to participate in the most current and advanced clinical research trials through the Children’s Oncology Group, a National Cancer Institute-supported cooperative research organization.

“We are pleased to have the folks from WMAG come and spend some time with us so they can help people in our community understand what happens on the pediatric oncology unit of Brenner Children’s Hospital,” said Marcia Wofford, M.D., the medical director of the pediatric oncology department at Brenner Children’s Hospital.

“The progress that has been made in treating childhood cancer is significant. In fact, the cure rate for children diagnosed with cancer today is approximately 80%. This is in contrast with a cure rate of only 10% in the mid-1950's. Despite this encouraging news, there are still children who die from cancer. We are working hard to find better, less toxic therapies for childhood cancer. In addition, we hope to provide a program of care for children battling cancer that gives them the best chance of "total" cure. This includes the goals of psychosocial, educational, and occupational reintegration of the child into a successful life."

For more information about Brenner Children’s Hospital, visit our website at www.brennerchildrens.org or to make a donation, call 1-888-780-8811.


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Media Contacts: Rae Bush, rbush@wfubmc.edu, or Shannon Koontz, shkoontz@wfubmc.edu, at 336-716-4587.

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital, Wake Forest University Health Sciences and Brenner Children’s Hospital. The system comprises 1,187 acute care, rehabilitation, psychiatry and long-term care beds and is consistently ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report. Brenner Children’s was named one of the top children’s hospitals in the nation by Child magazine.

Media Relations