Game Over: c*ncer

45. Women Supporting Women Through Fitness & Philanthropy

What happens when you stop asking “Why me?” and start asking “Why not?”In this inspiring episode of Game Over: c*ncer, hosts Val Solomon and Dana Nichols sit down with Hannah Hunt, founder of Socks N' Such, preschool teacher, mom of two, and now a passionate pediatric cancer advocate.What started as a simple Disney Marathon Weekend bib turned into something much bigger.Hannah shares how fundraising for Cannonball Kids’ cancer Foundation (CKc) helped her:Launch her small businessSurpass her fundraising goalStep into advocacyBring her family and community togetherDiscover her purpose in giving backFrom the Maitland Farmers Market to Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend to speaking up about pediatric cancer research funding, Hannah’s story proves you don’t need deep pockets or a huge platform to make a real impact.You just need to jump in.This episode is about resilience, community, advocacy, small business growth, women supporting women, and how ordinary people can help transform pediatric cancer research.If you’ve ever wondered how to get involved, how to fundraise without “asking for money,” or how to turn passion into purpose, this one is for you.Follow Socks N' Such at:Instagram @socksnsuch25Website: socksnsuch.net----------------------------------Connect with Dana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danaknichols/Connect with Val: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-solomon/Secure your 2027 Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend bib: https://cannonballkidscancer.org/2025/02/run-disney/----------------------------------Podcast Produced by Hi Hello Labs: Website: https://www.hihellolabs.com/

44. Treatment, Survivorship & Family Part 2 | A Mother’s Story

What is it like to hear your child tell their cancer story… when you remember every detail they don’t?In this powerful Part 2 conversation, the Game Over: c*ncer Podcast sits down with Julie Feuerstein, mom of pediatric cancer survivor Mara, to explore the family side of a childhood leukemia diagnosis. While Mara shared her story in our previous episode, today we hear from the mother who lived every second of it.Julie is an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida and a certified speech-language pathologist. But most importantly, she is Mara’s mom. In this episode, she shares what it was like navigating her daughter’s B-cell ALL leukemia diagnosis, enduring treatment during COVID isolation, and entering the complicated phase of cancer survivorship.We talk about:• The emotional toll of pediatric cancer on parents and marriage• Living in crisis mode during treatment• The trauma and isolation of COVID-era hospital stays• The role of research in increasing childhood leukemia survival rates• Why continued funding for pediatric cancer research matters• What survivorship really looks like years after treatment ends• Letting survivors define their own identity beyond cancerJulie reflects on the tension between relief and fear in survivorship, the long-term side effects of chemotherapy, and the importance of investing in the next generation of scientists so that childhood cancer can one day be eradicated.Mara’s story is proof that research works. But this episode is a reminder that the work is not finished.If you believe in advancing pediatric cancer research, supporting families, and turning fear into courage, this conversation is for you.----------------------------------Connect with Dana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danaknichols/Connect with Val: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-solomon/Upcoming Ckc Events: https://cannonballkidscancer.org/category/make-an-impact/events/----------------------------------Podcast Produced by Hi Hello Labs: Website: https://www.hihellolabs.com/

43. Treatment, Survivorship, and Family, Part 1

Cancer doesn’t just affect the patient. It impacts the entire family.Welcome back to Game Over: c*ncer, as we kick off 2026 with Part One of a powerful two-part conversation exploring how pediatric cancer shapes family life, resilience, and hope.In this episode, hosts Val Solomon and Dana Nichols of Cannonball Kids’ cancer Foundation sit down with Mara Feuerstein, a remarkable young cancer survivor diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age six. Now thriving in middle school, Mara courageously shares what she remembers from treatment, how cancer shaped her childhood, and why she’s choosing to use her voice to help other kids facing similar battles.Mara opens up about growing up during treatment, navigating school during COVID, supporting friends who later faced cancer, and finding joy through swimming, theater, and being a big sister. Her story is honest, hopeful, and deeply inspiring, reminding us that even during the hardest seasons, kids can still dream, grow, and live full lives.This episode also sets the stage for Part Two, where we hear from Mara’s mother to further explore the ripple effects of pediatric cancer on families.If you care about pediatric cancer research, survivor stories, or how we can better support families facing childhood cancer, this conversation is for you.If this conversation encourages you, please like this video, subscribe to the Game Over: c*ncer Podcast, and share it with someone who cares about changing the future for kids with cancer. Together, we can transform fear and fuel the next decade of breakthroughs.----------------------------------Connect with Dana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danaknichols/Connect with Val: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-solomon/Upcoming Ckc Events: https://cannonballkidscancer.org/category/make-an-impact/events/----------------------------------Podcast Produced by Hi Hello Labs: Website: https://www.hihellolabs.com/

42. The First CKc Grant That Sparked a Revolution in Childhood Cancer Research

Game Over: c*ncer really lives up to its name in this one. In this special episode, we celebrate 10 years of impact with the very first researcher Cannonball Kids’ cancer Foundation (CKc) ever funded, Dr. Ted Johnson.Dr. Johnson is a professor of pediatric oncology and co-director of the Pediatric Immunotherapy Program at Augusta University, a destination program for children with brain cancer who have run out of standard options. Val Solomon and Dana Nichols sit down with him to talk about how one early CKc grant helped launch a decade of progress in pediatric brain cancer immunotherapy, from saving and studying monthly blood samples to building a powerful biological sample bank that is now changing what is possible for kids.You will hear how a “leap of faith” investment became the spark behind clinical trials that have now provided experimental immunotherapy to more than 270 children and young adults from over 30 states. Dr. Johnson explains how indoximod-based immunotherapy works, why activating a child’s immune system is so rare and so important, and how small donations, bake sales, and grassroots philanthropy truly keep this work alive.The conversation also pulls back the curtain on CKc’s Scientific Advisory Board, why it was built to push research out of the lab and into the clinic, and how that original vision has grown into a Zoom screen full of experts carefully reviewing targeted grants that directly impact kids and families. Dr. Johnson shares what he is seeing on the NIH Review Board, why pediatric grants are still outnumbered by adult oncology proposals, and what this means for the future of funding and innovation in childhood cancer.If you have ever wondered whether your $50 or $100 really matters, this episode is for you. You will hear exactly how early seed funding, focused clinical trial grants, and community support create a snowball effect that leads to new therapies, better outcomes, and real hope for children with brain cancer.Learn more about the grants we fund, our Scientific Advisory Board, and how to make a gift at: cannonballkidscancer.orgIf this conversation encourages you, please like this video, subscribe to the Game Over: c*ncer Podcast, and share it with someone who cares about changing the future for kids with cancer.Together, we can transform fear and fuel the next decade of breakthroughs.----------------------------------Connect with Dana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danaknichols/Connect with Val: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-solomon/Upcoming Ckc Events: https://cannonballkidscancer.org/category/make-an-impact/events/----------------------------------Podcast Produced by Hi Hello Labs: Website: https://www.hihellolabs.com/

41. How Global Collaboration Is Changing Pediatric Cancer Research | Dr. Anirban Das

In today’s episode of Game Over: c*ncer, we explore one of the greatest superpowers in pediatric cancer research: collaboration. From co-funding grants to global scientific networks, teamwork is driving lifesaving breakthroughs, especially for the rarest and hardest-to-treat childhood cancers.Hosted by Val Solomon (Director of Program Impact) and Dana Nichols (Executive Director of CKc), this episode features an inspiring conversation with Dr. Anirban Das, a pediatric neuro-oncologist and cancer geneticist at SickKids Hospital in Toronto and assistant professor at the University of Toronto.Dr. Das is a 2024 Cannonball Kids’ Cancer Young Investigator, a grant co-funded with Kindred Foundation, supporting his groundbreaking work on DNA replication repair deficiency and central nervous system tumors. His research not only spans advanced biology and immunotherapy but also reaches families across the world, including low- and middle-income countries, through the International Replication Repair Deficiency Consortium, which now includes more than 50 countries.What We Cover in This Episode:How Dr. Das unexpectedly found his path into pediatric neuro-oncologyWhy early-career funding (like CKc Young Investigator grants) is critical to innovationHow collaboration between foundations accelerates research for rare cancersThe global consortium bringing efficiency, shared data, and evidence-based care to families worldwideWhat makes replication repair deficiency tumors unique, and why they were once considered “rare”The reality of the research pipeline: grant writing, mentorship, and the challenges young investigators faceHow CKc and Kindred partnered to fuel the next generation of cancer breakthroughsWhy teamwork is not just helpful in pediatric cancer, it’s essentialIf this conversation moves you, please like, comment, and share to help us educate for change. Leaving a review helps more families find tangible hope.To learn more about Kindred Foundation, visit www.kindredfoundation.caTune in to hear this inspiring and informative conversation. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and join the fight to make Game Over: c*ncer a reality.----------------------------------Connect with Dana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danaknichols/Connect with Val: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-solomon/Upcoming Ckc Events: https://cannonballkidscancer.org/category/make-an-impact/events/----------------------------------Podcast Produced by Hi Hello Labs: Website: https://www.hihellolabs.com/