Gabe’s Chemo Duck Program recently received its first grant from the Jackson National Community Fund (JNCF). The award will allow the program to complete the second installment of the Chemo Duck Cartoon.
“We are extremely grateful that Jackson Insurances sees the value in educating children with cancer,” said Lu Sipos. “We look forward to finding new ways to become more engaged with Jackson Insurance and their volunteer program.”
Jackson National Life Insurance, founded in 1961, is one of the nation’s largest insurance companies. Through the JNCF, Jackson and its employees invest in the communities in which they live.
With corporate headquarters in Lansing, Michigan, Jackson also has offices in Denver, Chicago and Nashville.
According to Corinne Bergeron, corporate social responsibility manger for Jackson Insurance in Nashville, the company’s donations and sponsorships are directed to organizations, programs and events dedicated to enhancing the lives of children and the elderly.
“The Chemo Duck program was one of 20 applications our executive committee reviewed,” said Bergeron. “With a focus of helping children confronting a disease like cancer, any role our company could play to support them was the main driver in awarding the grant.
“It was wonderful to meet Gabe and his family. He is truly an outstanding spokesperson for the program.”
The $5,000 grant is one example of how Jackson Insurance is working to participate in projects and initiatives that strengthen the communities in which they work and serve, said Bergeron.
Sipos said she is looking forward to other ways to partner with the company in hopes of bringing Chemo Ducks to patients in the areas the insurance company has a presence.
It is difficult for children to wrap their head around fractions, conjunctions and how the gravity keeps us on the ground. We can only imagine how difficult it must be for a child to wrap their head around being diagnosed with cancer.
At the core of Gabe’s Chemo Duck Program, is a mission to ease that confusion for children and to provide medically sound resources to help them relate to what is happening to their bodies and lives. It is this exact desire to help her own son that inspired Lu Sipos to create the very first Chemo Duck for her son, Gabe.
Books, cartoons and paper dolls have all been incorporated into the therapeutic tools used to help prepare children for the various treatments they will experience while battling cancer. Then Lu heard a podcast featuring an educational hip-hop song created by a group called Flocabulary.
Lu approached the New York-based company about creating a cartoon promoting self-esteem for children living with cancer. Flocabulary typically works within the educational field and has videos in more than 15,000 schools across the country. When they learned about Chemo Duck they were immediately sold on the idea. The two companies hope the result of their collaboration will motivate cancer patients to not give up on their identity and will-power and boost their self-esteem.
“We had never done anything with the healthcare industry, so this was a chance to do something impactful and help kids who are struggling with cancer treatments,” says Alex Rappaport, founder and CEO of Flocabulary. “If we put a smile on just one kid’s face, then we have done our part.”
Flocabulary was started in 2004 by Alex Rappaport and Blake Harrison, the same year that Lu created Chemo Duck. The online platform delivers educational hip-hop songs and videos to students in grades K-12. It is now used in more than 15,000 schools, reaching 5 million students weekly.
“Our mission is to motivate kids and help them reach their full academic potential, not only by raising test scores but by fostering a love of learning in every child,” said Alex Rappaport, CEO of Flocabulary.
“We were touched by Gabe’s story, and the idea of Chemo Duck,” he said. “We had never done anything with health or medicine, so this was a chance to do something really positive and help kids who are struggling with cancer treatment.
“We saw this as a natural extension of our mission and if we put a smile on just one kid’s face, then we have helped do our part.”
Flocabulary works with a team of artists from around the country to perform its tunes. Atlanta resident, Dillon Maurer performs the rap “I’m Still Me” for Chemo Duck. Rappaport said Dillon was able to bring some personal passion to the song.
“Not only did he understand the learning objectives,” said Rappaport, “this project was personal to him.”
Maurer lost a childhood friend to cancer.
The use of music was important to Sipos because of the research done about the power of the healing power of music. Studies have shown that using music in medical settings can help lower blood pressure, reduce stress and assist with pain management.
“Music can be the venue for talking about feelings,” said Sipos. “It’s a perfect way for children to express how they feel, especially when it is difficult for them to find the words.”
Sipos said the use of “autobiographical” songs, which bring to mind a certain memory, have proven to boost a person’s ability to recall information.
According to “Music-Memory Connection Found in Brain” on the LiveScience website, Petr Janata, a cognitive neuroscientist at University of California-Davis identified the area in the brain used to remember such songs.
“What seems to happen is that a piece of familiar music serves as a soundtrack for a mental movie that starts playing in our head,” stated Janata in 2009. “It calls back memories of a particular person or place…”
His report showed that the medial prefrontal cortex became more active when subjects heard autobiographical songs, compared to listening to songs unconnected with their lives.
When Taegan Strain was diagnosed in 2002, the enterprise known as Gabe’s My Heart was not yet organized. There were not hundreds of cute chemo ducks available for children diagnosed with cancer.
At the time, there was only one Chemo Duck and it belonged to Gabe Sipos.
“Taegan and Gabe and another patient would all play together during clinic,” said Tammy Strain, Taegan’s mom. “She saw Gabe’s duck and she wanted one.
“Well Lu made her a little bunny that was all girly,” said Strain. “She put a straw hat on it and gave it a feeding tube. And Taegan played with it all the time. Every time she would have something done, she would doctor on her bunny.
“She used bunny to show her to friends and to explain to them what was happening with her.”
Strain said her daughter never named her bunny, but cherishes it and has put it up for safe keeping.
A year ago she received a Chemo Duck and has used it to help raise money for Gabe’s My Heart. This summer, during a mission trip to New York, Taegan met a family with a 6-year-old who had been diagnosed with the same form of cancer as Taegan. She got their contact information so that he too could enjoy his very own Chemo Duck.
“During that time she was in treatment, she felt like everything was out of control,” said Strain. “I think it helped her work through what was going on with her. Having this animal, it was a way she could gain back some control. When kids are sick like that, everyone gives stuffed animals.”
“But none of them look like they do. Chemo Duck is like them and it’s a comfort to have a stuffed animal going through the same illness.”
Taegan was 3 years old when she was diagnosed with ALL. She is now a 7th grader at Franklin Simpson Middle School in Franklin, Kentucky.
“Whatever you do unto the least of these, you do unto me.” Matthew 25:40
Tim Richards, owner of Let It Shine Gymnastics, takes this scripture whole-heartedly. For the past 30 years, Richards and his wife Janie, have created more than just a program to teach gymnastics.
“We are a kid ministry,” said Richards. “We try to partner up with different organizations in our area to minister to those in need.
“What Lu is doing with Chemo Duck and Gabe’s My Heart is amazing. Hospitals are such tough places and if there is anything we can do to make things more comfortable or bring peace to the little ones, then we are all for it.”
Over the past year, Richards has committed to sponsoring 200 ducks that will be utilized by children, families and hospitals to teach children about the various medical therapies they will experience over the course of their cancer treatments.
Richards hopes that his gyms’ support of the program will help provide a little sunshine to the thousands of children battling cancer.
“We have known Gabe and his family for years,” said Richards. “He has been involved in our program.
“Seeing Gabe and knowing what Lu is working so hard to accomplish, we feel good standing shoulder to shoulder with such a wonderful ministry.”
Let It Shine has programs in both the Cool Springs and Spring Hill, Tennessee areas.
