Pitt linebacker launches campaign to help families of cancer patients at Children's Hospital
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A star linebacker at the University Of Pittsburgh has launched a campaign to help families at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh whose children have been diagnosed with cancer.
Pitt linebacker Brandon George calls his charitable outreach B Cause. Donations are being made on a new website, www.BCause.GiveSmart.com. All the proceeds will benefit the Mother's Hope fund at the hospital, which provides vital and flexible resources to families in the oncology division. It can be used for things like food, gas, transportation and lodging during their child's treatment.
For George, it's a mission that hits close to his heart.
"When I was in high school, one of my really good friends Anthony Myers was diagnosed with brain cancer, my senior year, his sophomore year. He was 16 years old. That following December, in 2019, he passed away because of it," he said.
Now George honors the memory of his friend Anthony by helping other children. He and his teammates often visit with the young patients in the oncology unit, lifting their spirits and signing autographs.
"I hope this takes a little bit of the burden off these families' backs because they're already going through so much and I feel like this little bit of help could go a long way," George said.
Clinical social worker Deanna Harris works alongside George.
"These families are already feeling beat down," said Harris. "'My child has cancer.' That's the worst news any parent can hear. And then when I come in and I'm like, 'Listen, I know this is going to be hard, but with Mother's Hope, we're going to be able to get you a hotel, gas money, food money. I don't want you to worry about those things. I want you to worry about your child.'"
George's goal is $30,000 but he's hoping the momentum he's started will make an even bigger difference.
"We're hoping to crush that goal, exceed that goal, hopefully double it, maybe even triple it," he said.
UPMC says the overarching goal of Mother's Hope is to ensure parents have the resources they need to be with their children during treatment, giving each child the best possible chance to make a full recovery.