By Neil Doyle

BLOOMINGTON – The annual St. Jude Radiothon with WJBC and Radio Bloomington is underway.

The goal over the two-day event is to raise money to help pay for treatment and research of childhood cancers.

Several families shared their stories on-air, including Rian and Cathy Tolan, who lost their daughter Daelin in November of last year.

Cathy said she supports St. Jude as a way to remember her daughter and for the other families affected by cancer.

“I’m doing it for Daelin and I don’t want other families to go through what we’ve gone through,” Cathy said.  “St. Jude was so amazing to us because the donations they receive truly do help families like ours with the treatment, and they money goes towards research and I truly hope one day there is a cure for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).”

Bridget Wallace was diagnosed with cancer at 15-months old. When she turned six-year-old she was cancer-free, but she is still involved with St. Jude.

“I went every year until I turned 18, then I was asked to be a part of the Child Life Study that St. Jude has,” she said.  “So about every two years I go to Memphis for a few days and get a full body checkup for the sole purpose of research so they can use that for people getting diagnosed with the same cancer I had.”

Since St. Jude was found in 1962, the survival rate for childhood cancer has risen from 20 percent to almost 90 percent today. You can become a Partner in Hope by calling 1-800-374-4995.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]