From a Home Touched by Cancer to New Hope for Young Patients Everywhere
- “Love Story” singer Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce donated millions this week to pediatric cancer, including Memorial Sloan Kettering, as part of a reported $26 million philanthropic push.
- Andrea Swift is a two-time breast cancer survivor, having been diagnosed in both 2015 and 2019. In January 2020, she also faced a brain tumor diagnosis discovered during her chemotherapy treatment.
- Her father, Scott Kingsley Swift, reportedly underwent a quintuple bypass surgery, a major heart procedure in which surgeons restore blood flow by bypassing five blocked or narrowed coronary arteries. Kingsley also reportedly battled prostate cancer.
- Although childhood cancer research has historically been limited, one of our experts says progress is being made. Targeted therapies and various immunotherapy approaches—first developed and tested in adults—are now entering clinical trials for pediatric patients. As a result, doctors could soon have a wider range of treatment options available for children diagnosed with cancer.
Swift, 36, and Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, who is also 36, recently donated to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) to support pediatric cancer care and research.
Read MoreView this post on Instagram
“This contribution will help MSK continue to advance care for our pediatric, adolescent, and young adult patients and invest in research that will benefit patients for generations to come,” MSK’s post explained further.
“The donation to MSK Kids is one of several charitable contributions Taylor and Travis are making in celebration of their upcoming wedding, underscoring the depth and significance of their generosity.”
RELATED: The Little Gold Pin For Child Cancer On Celebrities at The Emmys — Where Does The Money Go?
Swift and Kelce also donated $1 million to a non-profit organization in New York City called City Harvest Food Rescue Center.
City Harvest also commemorated their donation on Instagram, writing in a post, “It’s a love story that feeds good! Thank you to @taylorswift and @killatrav for supporting our work rescuing and delivering high-quality food for our New York City neighbors in need. Join them and stand with us: CityHarvest.org/Donate. #WeAreCityHarvest.”
Their donation will “provide food for more than 2.4 million New Yorkers in need,” City Harvest notes.
More On Childhood Cancer
- Warning Signs! The Top Ten Childhood Cancer Symptoms That Can Be Missed
- Childhood Cancer Survivor Gets Real About Life After Chemo — and the New Perspective His Experience Gave Him
- Empowering and Emotional Viral Video Shows Family Shaving Their Heads in Support of Their Childhood Cancer Warrior, Little Nadine
- The Impact of a Childhood Cancer Diagnosis on the Whole Family — Jayne Wexler Shares Her Story
- Why Do Pediatric Drugs Take So Long to Develop? A Look into the Lag Time on Drug Approvals for Childhood Cancer & Other Illnesses
- Why The Increase in Childhood Cancers? Groundbreaking New Study Invites Families To ‘Stand Up And Be Counted’
According to Variety, Swift and Kelce made donations to 20 organizations nationwide, spanning nine food banks, an animal welfare group focused on preventing cruelty, seven education-focused initiatives, and three children’s hospitals.
The donations went to a wide mix of charities across the country.
Food banks included Food Bank For New York City, New York Cares, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Harvesters in Kansas City, The Store in Nashville, Helping Harvest in Reading, the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, and Feeding America nationwide, as per Variety.
Support for animal welfare also went to the ASPCA, helping protect and care for animals in need.
Education and youth programs included Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Grammy in the Schools, Education Through Music in New York City, Answer The Call, Musical Mentors, and After-School All-Stars in both New York and Cleveland.
In addition, donations extended to children, teens, and adolescents and young adult (AYA) care programs, including Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone and Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.
View this post on Instagram
Rhode Island Community Food Bank also praised Swift and Kelce for their kindhearted gesture, writing in a Thank You post on Instagram, “In honor of their upcoming nuptials, @taylorswift and @killatrav made an extraordinary donation of $1 million to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank!
“We were THRILLED to learn of this unexpected gift, which comes at a time when the need for food assistance in our state is at an all-time high. Every dollar of this generous donation will be put to work to source food for distribution across our statewide network of 137 member agencies.”
In a statement, Food Bank CEO Melissa Cherney shared, “Gifts like this are a powerful reminder of the good we can do with the support of our community. This act of generosity shows that, together, we can meet this moment and truly eliminate hunger in our state.”
“In addition to their donation to our food bank, Swift and Kelce made similar donations to @feedingamerica, among others. We wish the couple a happy wedding weekend and extend our boundless appreciation!”
View this post on Instagram
Feeding America, a nationwide network made up of roughly 200 food banks working to combat hunger across the United States, also shared on social media that they had received a “generous $2 million donation.”
“This support builds on Taylor’s ongoing commitment to neighbors across the country and brings us all closer to a future where everyone has the food they need to thrive,” Feeding America wrote on Instagram.
“We’re so grateful to have partners like you in this work.”
RELATED: Taylor Swift’s Generous Holiday Donations Pave The Way For Childhood Cancer Care
View this post on Instagram
Andrea Swift’s Battles with Cancer
Andrea Swift, who became a two-time cancer survivor after her first breast cancer diagnosis in 2015 and then again in 2019. She also dealt with a brain tumor doctors discovered while she was undergoing chemotherapy.
After sharing her mom’s diagnosis on social media with her fans, Taylor noted that her mom “may not be at as many shows” to focus on her cancer treatment, entertainment media outlet Distractify reports.
“The symptoms of what a person goes through when they have a brain tumor is nothing like what we’ve ever been through with her cancer before. So it’s just been a really hard time for us as a family,” Taylor Swift told Variety in an earlier interview.
RELATED: ‘Shake It Off’ Singer Taylor Swift Offers Comfort For Her Dad After Complex Heart Surgery
She also said at the time, “I mean, we don’t know what is going to happen. We don’t know what treatment we’re going to choose. It just was the decision to make at the time, for right now, for what’s going on.”
The specifics about Andrea’s breast cancer and the status of her ongoing treatment remain unknown, but one thing is for sure — she’s not letting her previous cancer diagnoses prevent her from taking part in their daughter’s eventful life.
Although the “Anti-Hero” singer hasn’t revealed explicit details about her mom’s diagnosis, it’s important to understand that metastatic breast cancer often presents as a recurrence of a prior early-stage breast cancer, although it can be a new diagnosis.
Back in 2015, the year Andrea was first diagnosed with breast cancer, Taylor’s mom presented her daughter with The Milestone Award at The Academy of Country Music Awards.
“I’ve watched this milestone artist from the time she was a tangled hair little girl growing up on our farm, full of imagination and creativity,” Andrea told the crowd at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in what was her first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis. “And ever since then, her favorite thing in the world to do has been to write a song, tell a story, play a guitar, or a piano,” Andrea said. “And I’ve seen those things carry her through every emotion, every experience in her life. Good or bad.”
She continued, “Every once in a while, her dad or I find ourselves to be the subject of those songs. Sometimes we’re merely the inspiration. Like the time she was 17 years old and her dad and I strongly disapproved of a young man, and rightfully so. But she was mad, she was real mad, and she went to her room and she closed the door. She came out about an hour later with a song called ‘Love Story.’”
RELATED: Taylor Swift Honors Her Parents in Amazing Speech as Her Mom Deals with Cancer Recurrence
Taylor’s parents have played a significant role in her journey to success, and she often makes a point to acknowledge her mother’s impact. When her mom was battling breast cancer, Taylor wrote a heartfelt song called “The Best Day” as a tribute. One of the most touching lines from the lyrics is: “…And I love you for giving me your eyes. Staying back and watching me shine…”
Although Swift has confirmed her mom’s health struggles, she hasn’t gone public on the specifics of her dad’s cancer battle. However she did acknowledge that “both” her parents battled cancer to Elle Magazine.
In a personal essay interview to Elle, Swift said, “I’ve had to learn how to handle serious illness in my family.”
Describing the 30 lessons she’s learned before turning 30, she explained, “Both of my parents have had cancer, and my mom is now fighting her battle with it again.
“It’s taught me that there are real problems and then there’s everything else. My mom’s cancer is a real problem.”
The “Bad Blood” singer continued, “I used to be so anxious about daily ups and downs. I give all of my worry, stress, and prayers to real problems now.”
As for her dad’s cancer diagnosis, an earlier report shared on YouTube, claimed that a leak email from Swift’s dad to the singer’s old manager revealed he had his prostate “sucked out of my body” during a robotic surgery after being diagnosed with the disease.
A Closer Look at Childhood Cancer
Treatment advances in recent decades have lead to 84 percent of children with cancer now surviving five years or more, according to the American Cancer Society. This is up from 58 percent from the mid-1970s.
But according to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, more than 95% of childhood cancer survivors have significant health-related issues because of the current treatment options, and only 4 percent of the billions of dollars spent each year on cancer research and treatments are directed towards treating childhood cancer in the United States. Since 1980, fewer than 10 drugs have been developed for use in children with cancer while hundreds of drugs have been created exclusively for adults.
Dr. Elizabeth Raetz, director of pediatric hematology and oncology at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, reminded us in a previous interview that there is still reason for hope.
“There are also targeted treatments and different immunotherapies that have been studied in adults and have now moved into clinical trials for children and there has been a great deal of excitement in the community about that,” Dr. Raetz previously told SurvivorNet.
Still, navigating a child’s cancer diagnosis can be tricky something Jayne Wexler knows all too well after watching her son battle acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In a earlier interview with SurvivorNet, Wexler explained that in addition to regular parent worries having a child with cancer means living with a whole new world of anxieties.
The Impact of a Childhood Cancer Diagnosis on the Whole Family — Jayne Wexler Shares Her Story
“My husband and I will always have fear,” she said. “I don’t think we can ever let go of that. Just when he was OK, then he relapsed, and then he had the bone marrow transplant, so there’s always some sort of worry.”
Wexler admits she tries to live for each and every day, but it’s understandable that this does not always come easy.
“And I do try you hear people say this we do have to live each day and be thankful for what we have,” Wexler said.
“And it’s hard to remember that when you’re caught up, it’s very hard to just sort of enjoy the moment, because we just don’t know what’s going to happen in the future.”
Sarah Stapleton, a clinical social worker at Montefiore Medical Center says social workers can connect patients with resources and provide support during the treatment process.
Childhood Survivors Face Heart Risks
According to a 2019 study published in the journal Circulation, even at a young age, childhood cancer survivors are three times more likely to develop any type of heart disease than their peers.
The heightened risk of heart disease among childhood cancer survivors is a result, in part, of the “cardio-toxic” nature of many of the most effective cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation.
These treatments work by killing cancer cells directly, but in the process, they often damage or kill the healthy cells in the heart tissue, too. In children, whose cells are still dividing faster than they would be in adulthood, this damage can keep the heart from developing the way it should, and can ultimately cause long-term side effects.
Dr. Gregory Aune, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at UT Health, was only 16 years old when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. Nearly two decades after receiving chemo and radiation for his childhood cancer, Dr. Aune underwent emergency open-heart surgery at 35 to replace his aortic valve and bypass three blocked coronary arteries.
The surgery saved Dr. Aune’s life, but left him frustrated about therapies that could cure his pediatric patients, but hurt them in the long run. “I thought, ‘we need to find a better way to do this,” Dr. Aune shared in a blog post. Since then, he has devoted his career to researching ways to protect children’s hearts during and after cancer treatment.
Coping With A Child’s Cancer Diagnosis
Advocating for your health and your child’s health is essential to getting the necessary care before a condition worsens. Some cancers can have subtle symptoms, so don’t delay seeing your doctor. Luckily, the Fraley’s got their sweet girl into the right specialists just in time.
Family members caring for a child diagnosed with cancer can be stressful. Family support not only eases the anxiety of the cancer patient, but the added support also helps their loved ones.
Caregivers supporting individuals with cancer should be mindful of caregiver burnout, a condition that can arise when constant stress and exhaustion—along with feelings of frustration or declining health—result from consistently placing someone else’s needs above their own.
Those who begin to feel overwhelmed are encouraged to reach out for help, whether through a licensed therapist or a caregiver support group, available both online and in person.
s parents navigate the cancer journey with their young cancer warriors, it’s important to remember children’s bodies may react differently to treatments than adults because their bodies are still growing.
“They may receive more intense treatments…and they may respond differently to drugs that control symptoms in adults,” according to the National Cancer Institute so it’s important to ask plenty of questions to doctors throughout the cancer journey.
Remember, you’re not alone in this journey your child’s oncologist and care team are there to guide you and provide information and answers. Oncological social workers are a fantastic resource to help you sort out the financial aspects of cancer treatment, as well as other cancer-related issues. Skilled psychologists and counselors can be accessed to help you maintain good mental health through your child’s cancer journey, to the best of your ability.
And, don’t be afraid to reach out to your support system friends, relatives, etc. for help through this process. No one expects you to handle everything on your own.
Be Pushy, Be Your Own Advocate: Don’t Settle
Meanwhile, if you’re wondering what you can do to ensure your child is getting the best treatment possible, consider the following recommendations from the National Cancer Institute.
- “Build strong partnerships”: Communicate openly and honestly with your child’s care team. You want to build a solid relationship with the people treating your child so you feel confident asking any questions and discussing your child’s treatment path.
- “Take advantage of the many specialists who can help your child”: There are many people who can help you and your child after the diagnosis arrives. Don’t hesitate to ask for specialists to help you and your child learn about their disease, understand how it will be treated and cope with difficult emotions.
- “If you get information online, make sure the source is credible”: Doing your own research is a great way to advocate for your child, but it’s important you’re looking at reliable sources such as (but not limited to) the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, National Comprehensive Cancer Network and American Society of Clinical Oncology, among others. Talk to doctors about what you’re finding and don’t hesitate to get multiple opinions regarding your child’s treatment path.
- “Make sure you understand what your child’s health care team tells you”: You need to ask for clarification if something about your child’s diagnosis or treatment is confusing.
- “Keep your child’s pediatrician updated”: Make sure your child’s cancer care team is sending updates to their regular pediatrician.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
