Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: Jonathan
Jonathan was a quarterback on his football team. He played soccer and baseball. He came home from practice one day. His back hurt and he felt like he couldn’t walk. That’s when Keondra knew
Something was wrong.
On Wednesday, June 29, 2016,
normal life stopped and their challenging journey began
— a journey that would test them physically, emotionally, and financially.
“I saw people walking back and forth. It was getting dark.” Finally, doctors told her they found a tumor on Jonathan’s spine. “I’m like — neuroblastoma What is that? When you hear the word “cancer,” you feel like someone is going to leave you.”
“I saw people walking back and forth. It was getting dark.” Finally, doctors told her they found a tumor on Jonathan’s spine. “I’m like — neuroblastoma What is that? When you hear the word “cancer,” you feel like someone is going to leave you.”
After five years, Jonathan’s cancer journey is far from over.
And for the next child diagnosed,
the journey is just beginning.
Jonathan is now 14 years old and going to high school. His cancer has relapsed four times. Due to the complexities of his treatment, Keondra and Jonathan are traveling up and down the East Coast to several hospitals. Jonathan is currently in a clinical trial in New York City. Keondra said, “Without support from Connor’s Heroes, we couldn’t afford to travel for treatment.”
This year, assistance from Connor’s Heroes will help over 100 children who are in active treatment. When you donate, you become part of their community of heroes.
means a family can receive financial assistance when they have to travel outside of Richmond, Virginia for a specialized treatment or a clinical trial.
can fill a Heroes Bag and Backpack with crafts, games, personal items and, best of all, an iPad.
can make a child’s hospital room on the Bone Marrow Transplant unit feel more like home. When Jonathan was in the BMT unit, volunteers decorated his room with holiday lights, pillows, and posters.
can help a family with groceries or gas. Once a month, Keondra receives a grocery gift card with an encouraging note.
can send a Family Fun Pack right to a child’s doorstep. Inside is everything a family needs for a fun night playing board games or watching a movie.
A message from Celia Tetlow Martin, Executive Director, Connor’s Heroes:
You play a critical role in Jonathan’s cancer journey and are a part of his future. Jonathan and Keondra are not alone because generous people donated to Connor’s Heroes. When you give, you join our community of heroes who help a child with cancer.
Your gift can make sure families who have a child in active treatment continue to receive support from Connor’s Heroes. And the next hero family who registers will receive financial assistance when they need it the most, and emotional support through every personal note, email, phone call, and visit.
You are helping Connor’s Heroes support every family as our program staff safely care for them during the pandemic.
Thank you!
Hero Dad Pledged His Birthday
Happy Birthday to hero dad, Tom. Tom turned his birthday day into a GIVING DAY. It was easy. All he did was pledge his birthday to Connor’s Heroes. Connor’s Heroes set him up with a personal fundraising page to collect donations online. Tom stood by his daughter Charlotte’s side as she underwent a long, difficult treatment for ALL. The family celebrated the end of her treatment with a neighborhood parade so big that it made the evening news.
Using our online giving tools, Tom raised close to $1,000 from his family, friends, and co-workers. Asked why he pledged his birthday, Tom said:
“2020 and some of 2021 showed all of us how critical it is that organizations like Connor’s Heroes keep their mission going — even when in-person events were put on pause. Childhood cancer families still needed financial and emotional support. Even today, Connor’s Heroes helps our family. By pledging my birthday to Connor’s Heroes, I did my part to make sure their mission continues.”
If you would like to learn more about pledging your birthday (anniversary, wedding, or any special occasion), visit:
https://www.connorsheroes.org/pledge-birthday/
Here is a cute video of Charlotte from 2020:
https://www.connorsheroes.org/heroes/charlie-2020/
Once Upon A Child Shopping Nights
DATE: Fridays for the month of September 2021
LOCATION: Once Upon A Child Midlothian • 9770 Midlothian Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23235
EVENT DETAILS: For Fridays during September Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Beer, Once Upon A Child will donate 15% of Fridays' sales to Connor's Heroes.
For store location and hours, visit their website: www.onceuponachild.com/locations/richmond-va-midlothian
In 2020, Once Upon A Child held this fundraiser. They raised so much money, we honored them as a Helping Hero. Read their blog post.
Easy Living Moto Show
DATE: August 28, 2021
TIME: Noon – 5 pm
LOCATION: Departure Bike Works • 1729 Arlington Rd. Richmond VA
EVENT DETAILS: Beer, food and bands for this two-wheel (or not) motorcycle show. Proceeds from the event will support Connor’s Heroes. You can buy a chance to win a custom-made 72 HD shovelhead. Raffle tickets are $25 a piece or 5 for $100. The drawing will be on IG LIVE Aug 29th, the day after the show. Tickets are available via Venmo, PayPal or cash in person. Details are: Venmo is @justin-spears-10 • PayPal is @justin5000 or justin5000@gmail.com
Please put your name in the comments and if using PayPal, use friends and family option. ALL others will be immediately refunded.
11th Heroes Art Ball
11th Heroes Art Ball
DATE: May 6, 2022
LOCATION: John Marshall Ballroom
Hotel John Marshall
101 N 5th St, Richmond, VA 23219
EVENT DETAILS: Connor’s Heroes held its first Heroes Art Ball over a decade ago. The Heroes Art Ball is more than a fundraising event. It is a magical night for our hero families and guests — while raising funds to support the important work of Connor’s Heroes. Save the date for the 11th Annual Heroes Art Ball on May 6, 2022! You can be a part of the Heroes Art Ball at the gala or online from home.
August Heroes Art Session
“We are super excited to hang out and make some art!” — Easton’s parents!
Our hero families and volunteers masked up for an afternoon of creative fun. We came together for our monthly HEROES ART SESSIONS at the Visual Arts Center on Sunday, August 16. The hero kids made dragonflies, painted beach and ocean animals, and even tried out water colors. Dale Knight, one of our amazing volunteer artists, was excited to be back in the studio painting with the kids. The children worked with her on a beautiful painting of a deep sea fish. You may see this piece again when it is put up for auction at our 11th Heroes Art Ball on May 6, 2022!
Celia posted this message about the 11th Heroes Art Ball scheduled in 2022: www.connorsheroes.org/heroes-art-ball-11
You can see who came to our HEROES ART SESSION in July: www.connorsheroes.org/heroes-art-sessions-return
Our August Hero Artists were: *Zuri, Sofia, Mason, *James, Mary, Georgie, Grayson, *Charlotte, *John, Ben, *Gabby, Gavin, *Easton, Lawson, Corinna, *Kennedy, Adam, *Nairoby, Daenerys, *Emory, *Thomas and Laurel.
Video: Tracey from RiverFront
Say "Hi" to our first official visitors! See how RiverFront Investment Group (RIG) packed hope and care into a backpack or tote bag going to a hero family soon after their child's cancer diagnosis.
Hi I'm Tracey DeSanto with RiverFront Investment Group. And today we stuffed backpacks and parent totes and parent folders for our community partner, Connor's Heroes, this year. We had a lot fun. We had groups of about 20 people coming in two different shifts to stuff bags. We cleared them out of supplies. So, there will be plenty of families who will have supplies for them.
RiverFront Volunteers!
What an honor it was when RiverFront Investment Group (RIG) selected Connor’s Heroes as their 2021 Charitable Giving Partner. The partnership included a $25,000 donation and a commitment to volunteerism in 2021. Their support funded our signature program — the Heroes Bag and Backpack — for an entire year. It takes over $500 to fill a Heroes Backpack and Parent Tote Bag with necessary items for long stays in the hospital and trips to clinic. A family receives a Heroes Backpack and Parent Tote soon after child’s diagnosis. It marks the support they will receive from Connor’s Heroes throughout their child’s cancer journey.
On Thursday, August 12, the RIG team spent the afternoon at our new office stuffing Heroes Bags and Backpacks. They took the time to personalizing a Heroes Bag and Backpack with items and well-wishes for an infant, child or teen. When a family opens their Heroes Bag and Backpack, they will quickly realize they are not alone. Thanks to RIG, they know there is a community of heroes who are ready to help.
You can learn more about RiverFront Investment Group and their REACH program in a blog we posted when they awarded us the grant last year.
Celia Named "Bold Woman" of Richmond
Richmond Magazine recognized 18 women for their leadership over the past year, including Celia, Connor’s Heroes Executive Director. Thank you to Riverfront, a local investment company, for nominating Celia.
In her profile, Celia talks about how Connor’s Heroes committed to giving families the highest level of financial assistance in the our 15 year history even when hospital restrictions meant we couldn’t be in the hospital or clinic.
Here is her profile featured in the August issue of Richmond Magazine: richmondmagazine.com/best-of-richmond/bold-women/celia-tetlow-martin
Return of Heroes Art Sessions
Sunday, July 18, 2021, was a special day. It was the return of our much-loved and much-missed HEROES ART SESSIONS! After almost a year and a half apart, dozens of childhood cancer heroes, siblings, artists, and volunteers spent the afternoon with the Connor’s Heroes Team.
We were thrilled to be back at the Visual Arts Center. They love sharing art and creativity with children. Especially since so many children did not have art classes this past school year. The kids didn’t miss a beat. Our hero families walked in to a studio set up with tables of collaborative, creative art projects. Richmond artist Nancy Jacey, CHF Board Member Tammy Griffin, childhood cancer hero Emily and her sister Katelyn encouraged our young artists as they painted, colored, glued, and bedazzled paper crabs, ice cream cones, and butterflies.
What could make a summer event even better? How about a cool treat. During the Heroes Art Session, the Kona Ice Truck rolled up into the Visual Arts parking lot. Our hero families enjoyed their favorite flavors of shaved ice from cotton candy, lucky lime, and Kona’s special Tiger Blood?! We look forward to hosting Heroes Art Session every month with more hero families and artists. (Our hero families’ health is top of mind, so we will continue to follow Virginia and CDC guidelines.)
Celia, Erin, Anne-Randolph & Ceci want to thank you for being our biggest cheerleaders. It is because of YOU — our community of heroes — that we had the resources to bring back our monthly heroes art sessions as soon as it was safe to do so.
“THANK YOU” from all of our Art Session Heroes: *Aubrey, Lucy, *Zuri, Sofia, Mason, *Javier, Alex, *Gabby, *Everett, *Emory, *Sydney, *Kennedy, and Adam
*Childhood Cancer Hero
You can see photos from our last Heroes Art Session in February 2020: https://www.connorsheroes.org/february-heroes-art-session/