Partner Spotlight: Maine Children’s Cancer Program and MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital

Posted by: Capozza Floor Covering Center

Posted in In the Community | February 16

The Maine Children’s Cancer Program (MCCP) is the pediatric oncology and hematology program of the MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital (MHBBCH) at Maine Medical Center. They are Maine’s premier treatment center for children diagnosed with cancer and blood disorders. MCCP has three areas of focus:

1. Providing children fighting cancer and blood disorders with the best medical treatment available, within the comfort of their home state.
2. Participating in clinical research to improve survival rates and move closer to a cure.
3. Supporting the entire family throughout their treatment journey.

Family is at the heart of every philanthropic endeavor Capozza aligns with.  For some, we go through life never needing the resources of the MCCP and MHBBCH – those are the lucky ones. For others, this is the place where they literally put their children’s lives into the hands of the care providers, and numerous support staff, praying and hoping their little one can be cured.

Our Team Members have been connected over the years to both these organizations in so many ways.  From joining in at a golf tournament, cheered on the talents at “The Best of Broadway”, were covered head-to-toe in “The Color Run”, tried to hit it out of the park during a Homerun Derby, taken part at a fundraising event, gathered for a game at MCCP Night Out at the Portland SeaDogs, or received a life changing diagnosis about a loved one and been in the need of their services. These foundations names have been synonymous with “helping kids with cancer”.  The Capozza Family and our Team’s commitment to be a part of that help started in 1995, when our partnership kicked off with a $100 donation. By 2001 we became a program sponsor and grew that contribution in 2014 with further involvement in their subcommittee Strike Out Cancer in Kids. Since 2020 we have been honored to have our team member Theresa sit on the Board of Directors for the MCCP. To date Capozza has raised more than $323,000 for the MHBBCH and MCCP.

What does it mean when we ask our team, industry partners, clients, and our community to join in the battle and “Help Strike Out Cancer in Kids”? Though we have been active supporters for so long, the impact our efforts make may not be fully understood by everyone. Honestly, they weren’t to me, until my Board involvement. I want to share some of the Board’s accomplishments, to hopefully help everyone see just how much our efforts and contributions do to progress the Philanthropy Program, aiding the staff as they support kids in Maine in their journey with childhood cancer and blood disorders.  Personally, I didn’t understand the extent of help we can contribute and our giving funds can impact, until I started going to meetings and listening to the doctors share Mission Moments, until they spoke of the stagnant number of patients they treat right here in Maine, until I met the clinical staff who help children with their treatments, sometimes with wonderful survival stories, and other times with deeply emotional stories of loss and grief, and yet they return the next day to do it all over again.  Without partners willing to donate, taking the time to volunteer when needed, or hosting fundraising events, the success stories and moments of happiness would be outweighed by those of loss.

This year, a portion of our funding will be used to directly aid in MCCP’s first focus of providing the best medical treatment available by:

1. Providing the salary to hire a Neuropsychologist + Referral Specialist. This is an expert whose area of focus is to determine how cancer diagnosis and treatment affect the long-term behavior, mood, and thinking skills of the children.  They will work with each child to determine how their 2–5-year treatment plan may hold them back with their growth both mentally and physically.  They will suggest the best plans to keep a patient’s mind from being underdeveloped due to the lasting side-effects of the cancer drugs. 
2. Fund the salary for an Educational Specialist who will work alongside the Neuropsychologist as a liaison with the Maine School System.  The specialist will guide the Educational Staff to create a learning path specific to each child based on these findings.

The addition of these two full-time positions will greatly impact the success of every single patient. There will now be dedicated specialists advocating and aiding the children’s care providers and the school systems, ensuring they can get caught back up and progress with any aid necessary right here in Maine.  They will ensure every survivor can succeed in their education all the way through graduation.  These kids who fight for their life will now have a support team to make sure the long-term effects of their cancer or disease treatment do not have a negative impact on their cognitive skills and education.  Although their diagnosis may have set them back, their families will now have the assurance that they will leave high school on the right foot, ready to succeed in the world.

This is just one example of what it means to “Strikeout Cancer in Kids”.  The MCCP Team treats the whole patient, the whole family, and the whole community.  If you want to learn more or donate today to help us “Strike Out Cancer in Kids“, then scan or click the QR Code to be linked to their official donation site.

Story By: Theresa Rosmus, Philanthropy, PR + Marketing Director