Cokeburg family to host ‘Fun’raiser
Courtesy of Jamie Knox
The Knox family, from left, Jamie, Aidan, Dylan and Lance, will hold a ‘Funraiser’ Saturday to benefit childhood cancer charities Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and Project Pinball.
In this 2013 file photo, Jamie and Lance Knox of Bentleyville pose with their sons, Dylan, 5, and Aidan 10, when Aidan was home from the hospital for Easter.
A little more than five years ago, Aidan Knox was a long-term patient.
In 2012, Aidan was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. At 9 years old, the Cokeburg boy was subject to aggressive treatments of chemotherapy and radiation. Needles were a huge fear, so accessing the port through which he was given medications was always a challenge. But the staff of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh made the stays more bearable.
Aidan, now 15, wants to make sure current and future pediatric patients also get the chance to just be young.
“They made me feel like it’s not a big deal. Like, ‘I’m a kid, here I am, being a kid.’ They really helped with that,” said Aidan. “I think we should help them keep doing that.”
Aidan and his family will host a Magical Family Funraiser from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Cokeburg Volunteer Fire Department to benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) and Project Pinball. ALSF is a national childhood cancer foundation dedicated to raising funds for research into new treatments and cures for all children battling cancer. Project Pinball would place a pinball machine at Children’s Hospital.
Aidan’s father, Lance, said that the family wants to celebrate Aidan’s five years with no evidence of cancer.
“Part of the reason we want to have this is to fund research. The National Cancer Institute only allocates four percent to childhood cancers,” said Lance.
In the past 20 years, Lance said, the Food and Drug Administration has only approved one treatment for childhood cancers. In most cases, pediatric patients are given lower doses of adult treatments. Lance’s hope is that research will lead to less harmful treatments.
Secondary cancer from chemotherapy is a concern, as is the damage done to the heart and bladder.
“It’s a trade-off. (Aidan) is here,” said Lance. “We had friends who have lost children. If you look at the numbers, 15 percent (of those diagnosed with childhood cancers) die. That’s too much.”
Though Aidan doesn’t regularly think about what he went through, he does believe it helped shape the person he has become.
“It made me a little tougher,” he said. “I appreciate life.”
Lance said that that Aidan’s diagnosis put things into perspective.
“It makes all these things I used to get upset about seem really, really small in comparison to what we went through as a family,” he said.
The Knox’s goal is to raise $4,000 through Saturday’s event, which will feature an evening of family entertainment. Pittsburgh comedian Auggie Cook and David Darwin, who appeared on “America’s Got Talent” with this act of juggling, vaudeville and comedy, will perform. There will be strolling magicians, balloon and caricature artists, food and auctions.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door.
This isn’t the first time the family has raised money for childhood cancer charities. They previously released a compilation of music with proceeds going to the Children’s Hospital’s oncology unit.
Of their newest endeavor, Aidan said he thinks it’s going to be a great event for a worthwhile cause.
“I definitely like the idea,” he said. “It will help out kids who are going through treatment right now stay happy and positive.”
Magical Family Funraiser
5-9 p.m. Saturday
Cokeburg Volunteer Fire Dept., 171 Lincoln St., Cokeburg
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door
Proceeds benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and Project Pinball