Caption from Left to Right: CHoNJ patients Briguitte Riosrosas, Erick Guzman, Jeffrey Delgado and Aubree Walker received personalized ski and/or snowboard instructions and participated in social activities including, a talent show, bingo night and disco night.
NEWARK, NJ – Patients from the Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (CHoNJ) attended the Shining Stars Foundation’s Aspen Winter Games, an annual adaptive ski and snowboard program held in Aspen, Colorado.
This year marks the second year that CHoNJ patients participated in this program, thanks to expanding philanthropic support.
“The strength and spirit of the children from the pediatric cancer center are to be commended”, said Michael Witmondt, a principal at Woodmont Properties who together with his friends and colleagues, sponsored CHoNJ’s participation in this year’s games.
“Those characteristics are what inspired so many of my friends and colleagues to step up and support this trip. We aren’t just providing an experience; we are responding to the incredible resilience the children show every day, and we are honored to follow their lead.”
“This program is a vital extension of our holistic approach to care,” said Dr. Teena Bhatla, Director of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. “Treatment is demanding, so providing an escape where patients can focus on their abilities rather than their illness is essential. We hope that the confidence they bring back stays with them long after they leave the mountain.”
How You Can Help
Every year, nearly 10,000 children will be diagnosed with cancer. At Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, our Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders treats more than 1,200 kids battling cancer annually.
The fight against pediatric cancer is ongoing, and the need for life-affirming experiences grows every year. Newark Beth Israel plans to provide this once-in-a-lifetime experience for other children with cancer in future, and you can help by donating
Make a gift online or contact Kenneth Alexo, Jr., Vice President of Development, Newark Beth Israel (973-926-7951, kenneth.alexo@rwjbh.org).
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, is a 665-bed regional care teaching hospital that provides comprehensive health care. Newark Beth Israel is a Top Teaching Hospital and home to one of the nation’s top 15 heart transplant centers, which has performed more than 1,200 heart transplants; RWJBarnabas Health’s Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program; New Jersey’s only Advanced Lung Disease and Transplant Program and a Valve Center that performs complex cardiac valve procedures, including minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVRs). Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is also home to Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (CHoNJ), caring for children from birth through adolescence, with more than 30 specialized pediatric services including New Jersey’s largest Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders; and the Children’s Heart Center that offers a complete range of medical and surgical treatments for the most complex cardiac abnormalities. Children’s Hospital of New Jersey also includes a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a Level IV Regional Perinatal Center that offers Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) therapy; and the highest level of intensive care for both mothers and newborns. The Newark Beth Israel robotic surgery program is the most experienced in northern New Jersey. RWJBarnabas Health and The Frederick B. Cohen, MD, Comprehensive Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey Breast Health Center, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute – the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center – brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside you, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials. Newark Beth Israel also offers many preventive health programs that promote wellness in the community, including The Beth Greenhouse, which provides access to fresh produce and health and wellness education to residents.
To learn more visit rwbh.org/NewarkBeth.