PBCGA Community News: Gala for Gold Event – Olivia Othmer’s medical journey battling Ewing’s Sarcoma Bone Cancer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2022

CONTACT:
Olivia Othmer
ric.othmer@gmail.com | (954) 683-7224

LOCAL FAMILY HOSTS “GALA FOR GOLD” APRIL 22, 2022 AT ABACOA GOLF CLUB IN JUPITER FLORIDA

JUPITER, FL – Olivia Othmer will be hosting the Gala for Gold. This Gala was inspired by her previous medical journey battling Ewing’s Sarcoma Bone Cancer. The mission of this event is to raise awareness and make a charitable contribution to the Joe DiMaggio’s Pediatric Oncology Department. The Gala for Gold will be hosted on April 22, 2022. A silent auction will be held to raise funds and continue working towards a better solution for childhood cancer. In order to make the auction a reality, the team is seeking unique and interesting items to auction off. Local organizations can donate, specific items, services, or gift vouchers as seen fit. In addition table sponsorships will be available for the event.  If an in-kind donation isn’t possible, monetary donations are always greatly appreciated, as well.

OLIVIA’S STORY

Growing up, I was a joyful child who loved to dance and spend time with my friends. That all changed the day my parents had to tell me, their 7-year-old daughter, that I had Ewing’s Sarcoma Bone Cancer. 

My optimistic, yet naïve self-had never been more confused in my short life. To me, the diagnosis meant one thing: a bright pink cast. All I could envision was strutting the halls of my school showcasing my brand-new accessory. The popularity points I would score in 1st grade was unfathomable. However, looking at my parents, seeing both fear and sadness, brought me back down to Earth. They knew what this prognosis meant. While I only could picture the cheers of my classmates, they pictured the long fight ahead.

After the initial shock and euphoria I experienced flew out the window, my parents slowly tried to explain the severity of the situation. Looking back, I recognize the eggshells my parents were walking on as they discussed a truly heavy topic with such a young mind. Each day brought endless hospital visits, hours of physical therapy, and news of surgeries. As the chemo kicked in I began to lose my hair, and my contagious smile. My Floridian tan was exchanged for a ghost like complexion. It seemed as if every month, I had received a new surgery scar. As I looked in the mirror, I saw a girl I no longer recognized staring back. The girl I was used to seeing, a confident social butterfly with a bright smile had been replaced by someone with no hair, a completely different girl whose whole world had drastically changed overnight.

Growing up in a very competitive family, I had always been a fighter, and seven-year-old me was no exception to this. On April 23rd,2011, after a year of chemotherapy, I was finally cancer free. I returned to dancing, playing sports, excelling in school, and hanging out with my friends. I finally became a normal young girl. With this medical journey, I matured and gained a new perspective on life. I have come to see that the gift is in the journey. Without the diagnosis, the surgeries, the tears, I would have never been given this opportunity to impact my community. I am grateful that through my journey, I found the gift to impact many lives near and far, through the help of my friends, families, and Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital. I experienced first-hand the detrimental effect cancer has on a child, physically, mentally, and socially. I want to use my story to reach families and give them hope to see a young girl just like them overcome the obstacles they were currently facing.

To learn more or share this story, please visit http://support.mhsfoundation.org/goto/galaforgold

Dear PBCGA Community,

 

My name is Olivia Othmer and I’m a part of the team hosting the Gala for Gold. This Gala was inspired by my previous medical journey battling Ewing’s Sarcoma Bone Cancer. The mission of this event is to raise the maximum amount of money to donate to Joe DiMaggio’s Pediatric Oncology

Department. Joe DiMaggio was instrumental in making my medical journey bearable. I received top notch care as a patient and hope to give new patients an even better experience.

While COVID-19 has been so prevalent in our society, it does not take away from the reality of the thousands of children still suffering from childhood cancer. Childhood cancer is the number one cause of death by disease in children. In the U.S. 13,400 children are diagnosed with cancer every year.

That’s 46 kids diagnosed every single day. 7 children die every day from cancer adding up to 2,555 deaths each year in the U.S. alone. The children that do survive childhood cancer are usually riddled with long lasting side effects from their treatments, including developmental delays, heart problems, and secondary cancers.

The Gala for Gold will be hosted on April 22, 2022. We will be holding a silent auction as a way to raise funds and continue working towards a better solution for childhood cancer. In order to make our auction a reality, we are seeking unique and interesting items to auction off. We would like to ask your company if you’d be willing to donate, a specific item, service, or gift voucher you see fit. We also invite your company to sponsor a 10-person table. If an in-kind donation isn’t possible, monetary donations are always greatly appreciated, as well.

Your contribution will be vital to helping us succeed in our goal for this auction. With your generous donation, we will be able to impact thousands of children suffering in your very own community. If you’re interested in learning how you can help our auction, contact our procurement at ric.othmer@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Olivia Othmer