Contact: Tim Gehret
843.792.2626
March 14, 2007
Charleston -- Chemo Duck, an innovative and unique play therapy program for children with cancer, will launch its national campaign at MUSC's Children's Hospital.
Chemo Duck was created by Tennessee mother, Lu Sipos, whose one-year old son, Gabe, was diagnosed with cancer in 2002. As life quickly became a never-ending round of doctor and hospital visits for the Sipos family, Lu searched for ways to help her child understand what was happening to him. Of all of the gifts Gabe received while undergoing treatment, he found the most comfort in a stuffed yellow duck. Sipos was struck with the idea of turning him into a superhero of sorts; a special friend for Gabe to help make hospital visits more fun, a friend who required the same treatments as Gabe. She began to attach some of the same gadgets and gear that Gabe used for treatments such as hospital pajamas, or scrubs, a bandana around his head, a chemotherapy port on its chest and an infant blood pressure cuff. Chemo Duck instantly became a powerful teaching tool and a permanent part of Gabe's medical team. Sipos is now on a quest to make Chemo Duck available to all children struggling through cancer treatment and empower their parents and family members.
Thanks to the ASCEND Foundation, a Charleston-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to make ending cancer a national priority, Gabe's Chemo Duck play therapy program will officially launch nationwide at MUSC Children's Hospital, the first facility in South Carolina to host the program. On Wednesday, Gabe Sipos and his Mother Lu will personally distribute Chemo Ducks to patients in the MUSC Children's Hospital's Hematology and Oncology Clinic at 3 p.m. Charleston Mayor, Joseph P. Riley will speak and present a proclamation from Governor Mark Sanford as well as read a letter from Congress Henry Brown.
Following the MUSC Children's Hospital launch, the ASCEND Foundation will move forward with launches at other children's hospitals around the country.
ASCEND, which stands for Anne Scandalios Cancer Ends Now Directive, was formed in 2001 as the result of Anne Scandalios' battle against breast cancer. Although Anne lost her battle with cancer, the ASCEND Foundation through Anne's spirit continues her mission to make ending cancer a national priority. To learn more about ASCEND, its programs and current efforts to eradicate cancer, visit www.ascendfoundation.org or call (843) 225-4055.
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 10,000 employees, including 1,300 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.3 billion. MUSC operates a 600-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit www.musc.edu or www.muschealth.com.
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