Radiation therapy (RT) is a common treatment for brain tumours (the second most common cancer in childhood after leukemia). The goal is to deliver a focused dose of radiation to the tumour and surrounding at-risk regions while minimizing radiation to normal brain tissues. This is particularly crucial for young patients in whom excess RT to normal brain tissues can lead to significant long-term side effects. The standard method of manual radiation therapy planning is time-consuming and can vary in quality depending on the experience of the radiation therapist and oncology staff. Artificial int ..read more

Do you want to give back to an organization that is important to you but don’t know where to begin? Individual, community, school and corporate events in support of POGO make a big impact in the lives of children and youth with cancer, survivors and their families. Celebrate a milestone, host a sporting event, fundraise at your school, plan a social event, create a team challenge at your office or add a fundraising component to an existing event — there are so many options!   The funds you raise provide financial assistance to families so they can pay for out-of-pocket costs as ..read more

Childhood cancer and its treatment come at a risk of late effects for survivors. In fact, the evidence shows that two of every three childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk of at least one late effect due to their cancer or its treatment, including heart disease, second cancers and cognitive challenges.   A recent study published in JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) looks at the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma in children and the resulting risk of cardiac disease to survivors.   POGO Medical Director, Dr. David Hodgson, is the lead author of the stud ..read more

Freedom International Brokerage Company (Freedom) is one of Canada’s leading full-service, Inter-Dealer Brokers—providing electronic brokerage services to wholesale capital market participants in Canada and globally. Since 2016, Freedom has been a committed corporate partner to POGO, demonstrating their shared vision of making a difference in the lives of children battling cancer through substantial financial, in-kind and volunteer contributions. Kevin Kirby, President & CEO of Freedom International, at the 2017 POGO PJ Party Freedom’s involvement began when Kevin Kirby, President and CEO ..read more

About a decade ago, I sat in a hospital in Leeds, Yorkshire, discussing with the parents of one of my young patients their high-dose chemotherapy treatment, including the risks of severe infection, liver and lung problems. “And,” I added as an aside, “there’s a chance of mucositis, which is a sore mouth, like a mouth ulcer.” Three weeks later, and the child could hardly open their mouth—with lips cracked and bleeding, spitting out small pieces of the lining of their mouth, unable to eat or even swallow their own saliva. The lack of attention I had paid to mucositis up to that point struck me h ..read more

A question I’m often asked is, “How did it all start?” It starts with our daughter Ellie—our healthy 10-year-old daughter who played on every sports team. To us, she was the picture of vitality. One day we noticed what we thought was an innocent bump on her left cheek. Our general practitioner (GP) wasn’t concerned, thinking it was just a benign tumour made of fat tissue. We didn’t think too much of it until it started to grow. Ellie didn’t like how it was changing her face, so we made an appointment with a plastic surgeon to have it removed. Like our GP, he also assumed it was a little beni ..read more

POGO is pleased to welcome Shannon Caskey as our new Chief Development Officer, with oversight for POGO’s fundraising and communications teams, starting April 1, 2024. Shannon succeeds Lynn Wilson who retired from POGO in March and whose outstanding leadership helped raise millions of dollars that have impacted and benefited childhood cancer care in Ontario. Shannon is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) who was recently awarded as Best Individual Fundraising Professional by Charity Village. She holds a graduate certificate in Corporate Communications, an Honours BA in English Language ..read more

Questions asked by POGO counsellor Sharon D’Souza WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A POGO TRANSITIONS COUNSELLOR? I have always been drawn to roles that involve supporting individuals within our community and I have experience with helping people navigate various transitions in life. Joining the  POGO team represents a new and exciting opportunity for me. I have not previously worked with cancer survivors, so this is a unique learning experience. We all encounter transitions at some point, and being able to contribute to someone’s journey by providing the help they need is incredibly rewarding to me ..read more

Growth When I first started creating this sculpture, it was an absolute mess. The structure and stability of the tree were a challenge to figure out but slowly it all started coming together. It was like putting the pieces together in a puzzle. I didn’t fully understand why I created a tree until I started sculpting every little curve or indent, gluing on the leaves and adding the finishing touches. The  tree symbolized my growth. Just like me, the tree encountered many obstacles when it was being sculpted. It took hours, days, weeks to finish and at some point, I felt li ..read more

POGO is pleased to announce that Lauren Ettin will be joining POGO as our new Chief Executive Officer, beginning April 29, 2024. After an extensive search, Lauren emerged as the ideal candidate to lead our organization into the future. She succeeds Jill Ross who has served admirably in the role since 2018, leading the organization through a critical time and delivering on our commitments to families and children. “Lauren’s diverse background and wealth of experience across the healthcare system and in pediatrics uniquely position her to lead POGO toward continued excellence and innovation ..read more