Tag Archive for: Charlotte MIBG Treatment

MIBG Construction Update #2, Levine Children’s Hospital

Our day is made when we receive MIBG treatment room construction updates from Nurse Dawn, Levine Children’s Hospital MIBG Therapy Program Director!  This is really happening… look at the ISF MIBG sign that labels the suite!  Steel beams will be going up next and the lead brick walls will be installed in about 4-6 weeks. The suite was designed with lead bricks, a radiation shielding element, and will include lead-lined floors, walls, and ceilings.  This will protect and manage the MIBG Therapy safely for both patients and staff.  Lead bricks are extremely heavy, we can’t wait to see photos/video of them lifting them up to the top floor of LCH! 

The ISF MIBG treatment suite enables parents to stay close to their child throughout the cancer treatment, and consists of a lead-lined patient room, an adjoining room with a lead-lined viewing window where family members can spend the night.

LCH Core Nursing Staff training is coming up on June 19th and 26th. Dawn will be sharing tons of information soon to help educate everyone on MIBG treatment, family education and even what to expect as a patient.  

We love that Dawn got her own personal hard hat to keep because she likes to check on construction progress often.  We couldn’t have asked for a better MIBG Therapy Program Director… and we look forward to sharing her story soon too!  It’s the Dawns’ of the world that are making these visions of better cancer care become a reality.

We are looking for individuals who want to be part of providing comfortable care for the kids/families that go through MIBG Treatment. Our new MIBG Ambassador Program gives you the flexibility of raising $5,000 the way you want to raise it… 100% of funds raised through this program will be distributed very specifically through our LCH partnership with this very targeted MIBG purpose. {You do not have to be located in Charlotte to participate, contact Tia for details}

Update #1: MIBG Treatment Room Construction Begins at Levine Children’s Hospital

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ISF MIBG Ambassador: Tim McBride

We are excited to announce our very first committed ISF MIBG Ambassador, Tim McBride. The ISF MIBG Ambassador is a new program we have rolled out where each ambassador commits to raising $5,000 through his/her own network. We couldn’t think of the most perfect person to help us kick this program off. Tim fundraises 365 days a year for a variety of foundations and types of cancers, all while leveraging what he knows and loves best: running, bringing joy to kids at Christmas as Santa McBeast, and making whatever impact he can in ALL that he does.

Tim just retired. So we have to make sure he stays busy! And we love that he doesn’t take no for an answer as he fights to crush cancer every single day.

Funds raised through this program will be distributed very specifically through our partnership with Levine Children’s Hospital with a very targeted purpose. So get creative and fundraise the way you want to.

We hope you will join us at our MIBG Ambassador KICK OFF meeting on May 22 at 6:30 at the Santos Home.  Drinks and light appetizers will be available.  Please R.S.V.P. by Sunday, May 20th.  If you cannot attend and would like information, please contact tia@isabellasantosfoundation.org for details.
You do not have to be in Charlotte to participate!  Email Tia for more information.
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Date: Tuesday, May 22
Time:  6:30 pm
Location:  Santos Home

A New Way to Make an Impact: Isabella Santos Ambassador Program

Take your support of the Isabella Santos Foundation to the next level
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As the Isabella Santos Foundation MIBG treatment suite at Levine Children’s Hospital goes under construction, we want to ensure that we help plan for the kids and their families who will have to walk through its door for cancer treatment.  We have developed the Isabella Santos MIBG Ambassador Program, a new way of fundraising and making an impact.  As an Isabella Santos MIBG Ambassador, you agree to help raise $5,000 to provide a comfortable and customized experience for all families and children who undergo MIBG therapy at Levine Children’s Hospital.  This program gives you the opportunity to leverage your network and raise funds the way you want to raise them.  100% of your donation will go to help support patients and families by helping provide items and experiences that we will detail during our upcoming MIBG Ambassador kick off meeting.
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We hope you will join us at our MIBG Ambassador KICK OFF meeting on May 22 at 6:30 at the Santos Home.  Drinks and light appetizers will be available.  Please R.S.V.P. by Sunday, May 20th.  If you cannot attend and would like information, please contact tia@isabellasantosfoundation.org for details.
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Date: Tuesday, May 22
Time:  6:30 pm
Location:  Santos Home

We Did It: MIBG Treatment Room Coming to Charlotte

Friday marked a huge milestone for our Foundation.  And we aren’t just talking about a monetary milestone and funding a million dollar project, but also an emotional one.  On what would have been Isabella’s 13th birthday, it was extremely special to be able to celebrate her life, her legacy and especially the IMPACT she is making on this world with the coming of an MIBG Treatment Suite at Levine Children’s Hospital.

Levine Children’s Hospital will now be 1 of 20 hospitals to have a MIBG Treatment room in the U.S.  The two-room MIBG suite, which will include a lead-lined patient room and an anteroom for parents and caregivers, will provide targeted radiation to pediatric neuroblastoma patients and other rare pediatric cancers with minimal side effects.  In addition, availability of this room will allow for research studies aimed at testing the effectiveness of early MIBG treatment regimens.  Isabella and her parents were forced to travel to Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia due to this treatment not being available in Charlotte.  We are excited that we are changing this challenge for other families.

The MIBG project team did not forget one single detail.  Most MIBG treatment rooms  are just a one-room area for the patient receiving treatment, while their parent or caregiver sits on the other side of a lead-lined shield.  The two-room suite will give the child receiving treatment the ability to see the parent or caregiver through the connecting room window.  We love all the details the project team has included into the treatment suite design like utilizing Isabella’s artwork and a multi-colored fiber optic light design on the ceiling.  And that’s just a start.

We were joined on Friday by our 3 Wish Circle Members and sponsors who helped us make this room a reality.  What was also special, doctors and nurses who treated Isabella during her time at Levine Children’s Hospital were  in attendence.  To watch them listen to Isabella’s mom as she spoke was incredibility touching.  It was definitely a full circle moment.  Everyone in attendance signed a piece of Levine history as the lead beam will become part of the suite during construction.

We can’t thank everyone enough for the support  and believing in our foundation.  You are helping us make a mark on the future and we will continue to strive to elevate cancer care for kids.  We look forward to sharing updates as construction begins in a few short weeks.   The hospital will have construction cameras, it will be fun to watch the room unfold.

News Coverage on the morning:

MIBG WSCOTV News Coverage

Molly Grantham