Officials from Hyundai and Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital gathered October 8 for the presentation of a $100,000 donation from the Hyundai Hope on Wheels organization to support childhood cancer research at Yale.
It was a sunny morning for the presentation, held in the Healing Garden, a beautiful rooftop respite on the seventh floor at Smilow Cancer Hospital, as Rozalyn Rodwin, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Director of the HEROS Childhood Cancer Survivorship Clinic at Yale, accepted the check.
But the day got even brighter when 4-year-old Charlie, who is fighting cancer, ambled into the garden, his caretakers in tow, with a smile on his face that naturally brought smiles to every other face. Charlie was there to slap his handprint on a poster, a symbol of hope in the fight against childhood cancer. Usually, Charlie would have placed his handprint on a Hyundai Hope on Wheels vehicle. But since they couldn’t get a car on the seventh floor, Charlie and two other patients, Leah, 13, and Augustas, 15, put their painted hands on a poster, along with Dr. Rodwin. The children’s presence brought home the purpose of the Hope on Wheels grant and the overall push for research for childhood cancer.
“This collective effort is all about the kids,” said Bryan Thompson, Regional Sales Manager, Hyundai Motor America. “Our goal is to help kids grow, play, learn, and achieve their dreams in a world free of pediatric cancer.”
Dr. Rodwin pointed out that 85% of patients with childhood cancer will be cured but noted that many children are at long-term risk for further issues years later. She said that one of the most overlooked aspects of childhood cancer survivors is fertility.
“Due to amazing advances in reproductive technology, options are often available to preserve fertility before it becomes an issue,” Dr. Rodwin said. She described one patient who had cancer as an 11-year-old girl in 1998, only to have it return several times years later, including ovarian cancer when she was 35. Her doctors at Yale worked quickly to enable her to complete a round of IVF and egg retrieval before she began chemotherapy to preserve her chances of having a child. After completing a year of chemo, she gave birth to a beautiful boy in February 2024.
“This generous donation from Hyundai Hope on Wheels will allow us to expand the care we provide survivors by paying for the effort of a nurse navigator to coordinate this service for children at risk for infertility,” Dr. Rodwin said. “We are certain that additional support to this program will ultimately improve the health and quality of life for childhood cancer survivors.”
Also at the ceremony were Lakshmanan Krishnamurti, MD, Professor of Pediatrics (Hematology/Oncology), Chief of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplant and Leader of the Smilow Cancer Hospital Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Program; Tod Moynihan of Meriden Hyundai; and Jeffrey and Corey Brandfon from Brandfon Hyundai.