Children's Cancer and Blood Foundation Breakthrough Ball

NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Last Tuesday evening, hundreds of health professionals, patients, and influential guests came out to The Breakthrough Ball in support of the tremendous advancements made against pediatric cancer and blood disorders. The Breakthrough Ball is an annual fundraising gala held by the Children's Cancer & Blood Foundation (CCBF), an organization that funds research and innovative care for the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center's Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. "CCBF gives children with cancer and blood diseases a fighting chance, regardless of their ability to pay," says Les Lieberman, CCBF Co-Chairman and 2018 Breakthrough Ball Co-Chair.

The Breakthrough Ball featured numerous inspiring guests such as award-winning journalists Ashley Banfield and Greg Kelly as emcees and Swedish electro-pop duo Icona Pop (Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo) as entertainment for the night.

The most inspiring guests of the night were this year's honorees and Breakthrough Spirit award recipients, Pearl Koch and Dr. Lisa Roth.

Eleven-year-old Pearl Koch is a patient of Weill Cornell Medical Center and was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma this year. Despite her diagnosis and months of difficult treatment, Pearl has remained positive and strong and is eager to share her story of resilience. "You are braver than you think" is her motto to children diagnosed with cancer. As of two months ago, Pearl's cancer went into remission.

Dr. Lisa Roth is the Director of the Adolescent and Young Adult Lymphoma Program at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Five years ago, Dr. Roth herself was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, the exact cancer type that she had devoted her career to fighting. After focusing on her own treatment, Dr. Roth returned to the hospital and founded the Young Adult Lymphoma program which is now leading national research initiatives to understand more about lymphoma in young people. This year, Dr. Roth is celebrating five years cancer free.

Pearl's family chose Dr. Roth as her doctor because of the shared diagnosis. After meeting Pearl, Dr. Roth called the family and told them that she would do everything in her power to help her get better. "I look forward to being there for Pearl's high school graduation."

This is just one example of the lives that CCBF has touched. Tuesday's gala was a tremendous success and raised over $1 million which was all made possible by the support of CCBF's valued patrons. These funds will help ensure that the Foundation can continue to provide children with the best care possible as they fight against cancer and blood disorders.

The Children's Cancer & Blood Foundation (CCBF), through its support of the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, has created a standard of excellence in the treatment of children with chronic, life-threatening blood disorders since 1952. CCBF is the oldest and largest charitable organization in the U.S. dedicated to the care of children with cancer and blood disorders. Over the years, CCBF has helped the Division grow into one of the most comprehensive programs of its kind. For more information about CCBF, please visit childrenscbf.org.

Contact: Shibani Gambhir
Children's Cancer & Blood Foundation
212-297-4336
[email protected]

SOURCE Children's Cancer & Blood Foundation

Related Links

http://www.childrenscbf.org