childhood cancers

When the Nashville Predators hockey team hits the ice Saturday, Nov. 2, the players will take on an important opponent: childhood cancer.

The Nashville Predators hockey team, longtime supporters of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and its programs, presented the hospital with the proceeds raised throughout the year from the team’s 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund.

Volunteers from across Vanderbilt University Medical Center were recognized at the Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards on April 30. The awards, held each year by Hands on Nashville, recognize the volunteers making a difference throughout the community.

Malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT) is one of the most aggressive and lethal childhood cancers. Although rare — about 20 to 25 new cases are diagnosed annually in the United States — there is no standard effective treatment for the disease, which is driven by loss of an anti-cancer protein called SNF5. The chances are very small that a child will survive a year after MRT diagnosis.

The sight of a dog in a therapy vest trotting down a hospital hallway or being petted by a child lying in a hospital bed is familiar to many, yet the scientific research showing the impact of therapy animals is largely anecdotal, says Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Professor Mary Jo Gilmer, PhD. Her work is changing that.

Ray Cruz, a patient at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, performed the national anthem at the Nashville Predators Hockey Fights Cancer night.