CORA, AGE 5, is shown with her mother and father, Teena and Craig, and her older sister Ella. Little Cora was chosen to become ambassador for Stop & Shop’s “Help Cure Childhood Cancer” campaign. (Courtesy Photo)
Editor’s note: At the family’s request, we are not using their last names in this article.
By GAIL LOWE
MELROSE—It’s not every day that a child as young as 5 years old becomes an ambassador for Stop & Shop.
But that’s exactly what happened when the family of a little girl named Cora was approached by the Jimmy Fund Clinic’s director of patient and family programs to see if they would be interested in having Cora, age 5 and a resident of the Pine Banks area, become an ambassador for the grocery store chain’s “Help Cure Childhood Cancer” campaign, which is in progress at all Stop & Shop stores through Tuesday, April 2.
How Cora became affiliated with the Jimmy Fund in the first place is a story many parents can relate to.
When Cora was just a toddler, her father noticed something odd about the little girl’s gait.
“It wasn’t a limp, but we could see something wasn’t right,” said Cora’s mother Teena.
The couple took Cora to her pediatrician and were advised to follow up with an orthopedist. While waiting for her appointment, she developed small red spots along her torso called petechiae.
This prompted a second call to Cora’s pediatrician, and he advised Teena and Craig to take her to Boston Children’s Hospital Emergency Department.
Further testing showed that Cora had developed a condition called B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, one of the more common leukemias found in children, though adults can be diagnosed with it, as well.
Understandably, Teena and Craig were in shock and disbelief when they heard the diagnosis.
“We were also very scared of the unknown until we had more of an understanding of what Cora was facing,” said Teena.
Following her diagnosis, Cora was an in-patient at Boston Children’s for 39 days during which time she underwent chemotherapy treatments.
She then continued being treated in the outpatient setting of the Jimmy Fund Clinic at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for two years, finishing in July 2023. She has been in remission since July 2021.
Cora is now a kindergarten student at one of the city’s elementary schools.
When Teena and Craig were approached about Cora being a possible ambassador for Stop & Shop, they thought it might be fun for their daughter to become involved. One of the most recognizable aspects of the campaign is the in-store signage that highlights patient ambassadors—local children from age 3 to 15 who are being or have been treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Kids or Dana-Farber and have benefited from donations from companies like Stop & Shop and its customers.
Gordon Reid, president of Stop & Shop, said that the company’s responsibility to its communities goes beyond the aisles.
“We are immensely proud to nourish health and hope by supporting the fight against pediatric cancer and the life-changing work at Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center,” said Reid. “We are grateful for all that our customers and associates do to support this important cause and to help these hospital partners give children the chance to thrive.
Scott Armstrong, M.D., PhD., and chair of the Department of Pediatric Oncology at Dana-Farber added that Stop & Shop’s dedication and generous support of pediatric cancer continues to help fund critical research and care.
“We are thankful for Stop & Shop and its customers for their generosity, which motivates us to make groundbreaking discoveries that benefit our patients and their families,” said Armstrong.
Stop & Shop’s “Help Cure Childhood Cancer” shoppers can donate at checkout by rounding up their total to the nearest dollar or by donating $1, $3 or $5. All proceeds (100 percent) will benefit the two hospitals to assist in their pioneering pediatric cancer treatment and care.
