Founded by Erin, Fourth & Gold officially became a 5013C non-profit organization in July 2022. Much of the team is lead by healthcare professionals that are on the frontlines of oncological practice, helping children and their families battle cancer everyday.
Fourth and Gold highlights a cancer warrior that has bravely and fiercely stood strong against childhood cancer. At Fourth and Gold, we want you to see the faces behind our drive and connect with them in a way you wouldn’t have been able to if you didn’t take the stand to demand #MoreThan4. These Fourth and Gold warriors have cancer, but cancer does not have them.
Cody, diagnosed with Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma* at 11 years of age
Current Age: 12 (DOB 3/9/07)
Events leading up to Cody’s diagnosis, told by Cody’s mom, Melissa: Cody was having migraines and vomiting and we were told that they were caused by allergies. The symptoms only continued to get worse so I took him to a neurologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on my own where they sent him for an MRI and the tumor was found.”
Favorite things: Cody loves watching and playing football, going to The Phillies baseball games and animals of all sorts!
Favorite foods: Steak!
Typical day looks like: Cody is able to attend school and then he enjoys hanging out with friends in the neighborhood
If you know Cody you know that he: Is an incredibly caring person. He is always thinking about others and truly has a heart of gold!
Procedures/Surgeries that Cody has had: He had his brain surgery the day after the tumor was found (October 9th 2018) and his port was placed on October 29th 2018. He has chemotherapy once a week for 48 weeks
Cody, on the hardest part about having cancer: “The day after chemo, and going through chemo. The day after I’m always sick and I don’t like that.”
Melissa, on the hardest part about having a child with cancer: “Watching him sick or in pain, it makes me feel helpless and it breaks my heart.”
Cody, on one thing he wishes people knew about childhood cancer: “More money needs to go towards the research. We are the future and we are important.”
How has childhood cancer impacted your lives the most: “It rocked our worlds, but has made us all stronger. Cody is amazing and he is always so positive and has used this diagnosis as a way to advocate for Childhood cancer. He has 5 siblings and it effected each one differently. We are open about everything and it’s been a good way for our family to cope and more on with this “new normal”
Social Media Page: teamcody11
—————————-
May is National Brain Tumor Awareness Month so we wanted to introduce you to Cody and his heroic battle with Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma. Cody may only be 12 years old, but he is wise beyond his years and already recognizes the awareness that is needed for childhood cancer. Brain and CNS tumors are the most common cancer in children 0-14 years in the United States and are the leading cause of solid tumor related deaths in children between the ages of 0-14. The cause of most childhood brain and spinal cord tumors is unknown and they have no socio-economic boundaries and do not discriminate among gender or ethnicity. Brain tumors can and will attack anyone (PLGA Foundation). Cody is 1 of approximately 4,000 children who were diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2018, yet unlike adult cancers who receive 96% of all research funding, childhood cancer receives a measly 3.8%! WHY? Because it is considered “RARE”, yet 43 children per day or 15,780 children per year are expected to be diagnosed with cancer and since 1980, fewer than 10 drugs have been developed for use in children with cancer.
Cody is strong, resilient and the definition of a true warrior, but Cody and his fellow warriors need OUR help closing the gap on research funding! Treatments for children with cancer are limited and can be very devastating. Many parents will tell you that the treatment is so harsh and so outdated that it has or almost has killed their child. We’d love for you to help us close this gap between pharmaceutical companies and childhood cancer research by considering making monthly donations to the research foundations below:
Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation
Want to do your part, but look good while doing it? These companies give to childhood cancer research based off a percentage of their profit:
Fourth and Gold -> Donates 100% of profit in September, 50% all other months and donates a warrior shirt to a child with cancer with every purchase made
Love Your Melon-> Donates 50% of profit and donates a LYM beanie to a child with cancer with every beanie sold
We encourage you on behalf of Cody and 42 other children who will get diagnosed with cancer today, to help us close the research funding gap and donate to childhood cancer research. Awareness, funding and dedication to changing the research world of childhood cancer is severely lacking. Don’t wait until it’s someone you know. It takes a village… please join ours and #GoGrayInMay!
*“Juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma (JPA) is a childhood brain tumor. In most cases, the tumor is a benign, slow growing tumor that usually does not spread to surrounding brain tissue” (Weill Cornell Brain and Spinal Center)
As of October 2023, Fourth and Gold has funded $226,000 to pediatric cancer research and will continue to do so until we reach our goal of finding and funding a humane cure for childhood cancer.
Copyright © 2020 – 2024 Fourth & Gold. All Rights Reserved | Made with ♥ by Sage Creative Co
