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Author: Jackie Roberts McDonough

Dr. Kelly Recognized for Childhood Cancer Research

Posted on by Jackie Roberts McDonough

Dr. Kelly Recognized for Childhood Cancer Research

Kara Kelly, MD, is the Waldemar J. Kaminski Endowed Chair of Pediatrics at Roswell Park and leads a team solely focused on the care of pediatric patients. During the All Star Night gala in November 2025, Dr. Kelly was honored with the Dr. Thomas B. Tomasi Award, a distinction that recognizes a Roswell Park faculty member who has spearheaded groundbreaking research and brought significant hope to cancer patients.

Providing Hope for Kids Battling Cancer

This recognition puts the spotlight on her visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to finding better, less toxic treatments to care for Roswell Park’s youngest patients. Roswell Park stands apart from the pack when it comes to pediatric cancer care and research. We are one of only three centers in the country with a collaborative program structure. That collaboration with pediatric partners allows young patients to stay close to home while receiving highly specialized care.

Dr. Kara Kelly at the One Gold event for childhood cancer

Families no longer need to leave Western New York to pursue advanced therapies or clinical trials. “Being able to tell parents that they don’t have to travel far for hope — that matters,” Dr. Kelly explains. “It keeps families together at the moments when they need each other most.”

The Next Generation of Cancer Care

GMP Facility, cancer research
Dr. Kara Kelly, Roswell Park

Even more, Roswell Park is the only institution in the region where pediatric cancer care is fully integrated with world-class cancer research. For families facing a pediatric cancer diagnosis, that distinction can mean access to innovative therapies, clinical trials and discoveries that are shaping the future of treatment. Donations ensure those discoveries are not happening someday but right now.

Roswell Park’s research-driven approach ensures children are receiving the best care available while benefiting from breakthroughs that will improve survival and quality of life for years to come.

Roswell Park Positioned as a Nationwide Leader

At the heart of this progress is Dr. Kelly, whose leadership has helped elevate pediatric oncology and blood disorders at Roswell Park into a nationally recognized program.

“Kids with cancer don’t just deserve treatment, they deserve better answers,” Dr. Kelly shared. “Everything we do is about pushing the science forward while never losing sight of the child and family in front of us.”

Dr. Kelly’s dual focus on compassionate care and rigorous research defines the program’s impact. As both a clinician and researcher, she understands the urgency of translating discovery into real-world solutions. “For pediatric cancer, research isn’t optional. It’s essential,” she notes. “Children don’t have time to wait for incremental change.”

Donations to Roswell Park are ensuring that research moves forward, no matter what.

“Every breakthrough represents a child who gets to grow up,” Dr. Kelly says. “That’s what drives us.”

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Meet Eddie, the 2025 Tree of Hope lighter

Posted on by Jackie Roberts McDonough

Meet Eddie, the 2025 Tree of Hope lighter

2025 Tree of Hope Lighter Eddie with Buffalo Sabres player Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen at Roswell Park

If you ask Edison “Eddie” Golden how he wound up getting chemotherapy at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, he can tell you all the details. 

“It was April 7, the start of everything,” he says, wrapped in a fuzzy Grinch blanket, examining his breakfast. “For a couple of weeks, I just really didn’t have a lot of energy and I didn’t want to do the stuff I normally would.” 

He had a cough that wouldn’t go away and he wasn’t his normal active self, says Melissa Golden, his mom. “Since birth we’ve called him Sweaty Eddie because he just doesn’t stop. He loves to play outside. We usually have to call him in when it gets dark.” 

That night, Michael, Eddie’s dad, took him to their pediatrician who worried about pneumonia and sent him to urgent care.  From there, they were told to get to a hospital right away, where a blood test revealed it was leukemia. 

“It was T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia,” Eddie says. 

Two diagnoses in one

As they did the X-ray for pneumonia and found a mass between Eddie’s lungs, physicians saw something else they didn’t like. “We learned he has a double aortic arch, an extra part in his heart,” Melissa says. “The heart surgery will come later, after Eddie is done with his leukemia treatment,” she says. 

With the Roswell Park Oishei Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders program, kids like Eddie benefit from the experts of both hospitals, inpatient care at Oishei Children’s Hospital, where he spent a month, and has been receiving outpatient care at Roswell Park for several months. 

Eddie, Courage of Carly member

“He was very high-risk when he came to us,” says pediatric hematologist/oncologist, Kanwaldeep Mallhi, MD, Eddie’s doctor at Roswell Park. “He had a very high white blood cell count. He was quite sick. The family was overwhelmed initially, but they were very much ready to do whatever we needed to do. From the start, they were a resource family, very supportive of each other.”

Learning from other families

Eddie, Courage of Carly member

Eddie’s treatment consisted of four rounds of chemotherapy so far, resulting in his latest blood work showing no evidence of disease. He’ll next go into a maintenance round, which will last for two years. 

Eddie and his family have become active members of Courage of Carly, where they find support, friendship and — something that’s important for any child — fun. 

“We’re so grateful to the club that no one wants to join. We know every path is different. There are families who have had very hard journeys and they’re all still willing to share experiences and help us in the fight,” says Melissa.

A bright opportunity

Eddie will be bringing his star power, and his friends and family, to this year’s Tree of Hope celebration on Friday, December 12. 

“He really feels like a celebrity already,” Melissa says with a grin. “He’s waiting for his contract.” 

Eddie will be joined by his parents, his older and younger brothers, and extended family including his grandmother, who is also a Roswell Park patient, for the festivities. He’s excited to see the lights and to have the most important job of the evening. 

The twinkling lights pale compared to Eddie’s outlook.

Meet Courage of Carly's Dynamic Duo

Meet the Father Who’s Going 500+ Extra Miles for Childhood Cancer Research

Posted on by Jackie Roberts McDonough

Meet the Father Who’s Riding 500+ Miles for Childhood Cancer Research

Brice Dieter, Empire State Ride Road Warrior, and his son, James Dieter, Courage of Carly Member

In a crowd of celebratory riders and spectators at the 2025 Empire State Ride (ESR) finish line, one road warrior stood out. A string of colorful beads hung from his neck, wrapped several times like a cascade to accommodate its 30 feet of length. The bright colors contrasted a white Excelsior jersey, catching the eye of passersby.

Naturally, people had questions.

“I don’t know why I didn’t expect it, but I had all sorts of people like, ‘What’s going on? What’s that all about? And I kept telling the story over and over and over,” said 2025 ESR road warrior Brice Dieter.

Brice was wearing Beads of Courage, given out through the Courage of Carly Fund at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Each bead tells the story of a child’s cancer journey. In this case, it’s the story of his son, James.

“Everything James goes through, he collects a bead for. So, every time he takes chemo, he gets a bead. Every time he gets a bag of fluids, he gets a bead,” Brice explained. “It’s both a beautiful image and a sobering one because of how long the string gets. It’s a powerful visual of what a child can go through.”

The pattern and color of each bead represent a different milestone in James’ treatment. A black bead represents port access, a white bead represents chemotherapy, a yellow bead represents an overnight stay in the hospital and so on.

A Difficult Diagnosis

On October 30, 2023, Brice learned that his then two-year-old son had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The diagnosis came after 11 days of testing and uncertainty. James soon embarked on the first leg of a three-year-long journey to recovery, undergoing several rounds of chemotherapy and many hospital stays.

For Brice and his family of six, James’ cancer journey meant learning to punch fear in the face. The mantra came to Brice on the drive to the hospital in Buffalo, just before the diagnosis.

“We had just gotten on 90, and the fear started to rise up in me. I’m having this conversation in my head: ‘He’s super sick. He’s going to die. It’s your fault.’ Really nasty things. And I stopped myself and said, ‘Nope! We’re not playing with this.’ And I told my wife that no matter what happens, we are not going to entertain fear.”

Brice Dieter, Empire State Ride Road Warrior, and his son, James Dieter, Courage of Carly Member
Brice Dieter, Empire State Ride Road Warrior, and his son, James Dieter, Courage of Carly Member

Ever since, Brice says James has navigated even the hardest parts of his treatment like a champion. So has the whole family. Together, they choose to hold on to the little moments — like James chasing his nurses down the hospital hallways, jumping his Hot Wheels cars over his feet while munching on a giant cookie or belly laughing at silly jokes. This keeps the family going strong.

Despite the inherently scary nature of leukemia, Brice adds that ALL has a set treatment path and a strong survival rate. It’s not lost on him that other forms of childhood cancer, like Ewing Sarcoma, are still difficult to treat.

“It’s so frustrating, angering, infuriating, how many people I know who are being diagnosed with some form of cancer and how some cancers don’t have treatments that work,” Brice said.

A Personal Challenge with a Real Impact

Brice Dieter, Empire State Ride Road Warrior, riding for his son, James Dieter, Courage of Carly Member
Brice Dieter, Empire State Ride Road Warrior, riding for his son, James Dieter, Courage of Carly Member

When he stumbled upon a fundraiser for Empire State Ride in 2024, Brice took time to learn about the 500+ mile bike ride across New York State. The personal challenge drew him in; he loved the idea of pushing himself physically and getting outside his comfort zone. But he was also drawn to the idea of moving vital research forward to help others facing a cancer diagnosis — especially pediatric patients like James.

 

Brice soon discovered that the Courage of Carly program manager, Megan Crawford, has participated in the weeklong Empire State Ride multiple times and planned to again that year. Knowing that he’d ride alongside someone so instrumental in his son’s care sold him on signing up. It’s also what led him to raise an incredible $11,280 for cancer research and achieve Excelsior status.

Reflecting on the experience of riding with Brice, Megan had this to say, “Watching a child fight cancer means watching a parent carry an impossible weight as they face the unimaginable. But still, they never waver as their child’s fiercest advocate. To ride alongside Brice and witness his strength transformed into action was both humbling and inspiring. And while I wish we met under different circumstances, I feel honored to be part of the Dieter family’s journey.”

Brice’s 2025 Empire State Ride Experience

Brice successfully conquered 500+ miles on the road during the 2025 Empire State Ride. His experience, however, transcends the miles. What stood out to Brice was seeing the impact of his fundraising up close: A rider, given more time with his dad because of Roswell Park’s CAR T-Cell therapy; doctors on the frontlines of cancer research, pedaling alongside Brice; programs showing patients living longer thanks to the money raised through events like Empire State Ride and programs like Courage of Carly.

“The impact is real. It’s insane,” Brice reflected.

At the 2025 finish line, Brice’s celebration was cut short due to an unexpected hospital visit for James. He crossed with his fellow road warriors and quickly left to be with his son. But he proudly wore his beads across the finish line.

“Seeing three of my four boys at the finish line, knowing that James and my wife are in the hospital collecting more beads was so powerful. And it galvanized the mission. It galvanized the purpose for why I just pedaled. It validated every sore, every tight muscle, every bit of discomfort I might’ve experienced and made it all more than worth it.”

Brice Dieter, Empire State Ride Road Warrior, riding in honor of his son, James Dieter, Courage of Carly Member

Meet Courage of Carly's Dynamic Duo

Summer Splash: A decade of making a difference for cancer patients

Posted on by Jackie Roberts McDonough
2023 Summer Splash

Summer Splash: A decade of making a difference for cancer patients

There’s nothing like a Buffalo summer — and one of the season’s highlights is Summer Splash, a waterfront cocktail party that benefits the Courage of Carly Fund. 2023 marked the event’s 10-year anniversary.

As event coordinator Shannon Tedesco plans for the 2024 Summer Splash, she is aiming high with a goal of raising $100,000. It’s a milestone she could have only dreamed of a decade prior.

What is Summer Splash?

“We always describe it as a wedding without a bride and groom, because from the second you walk in, it’s a celebration,” said Shannon. “There’s excitement in the air. Everybody is dressed to the theme. You’re usually greeted with a little glass of champagne. It’s very bright and fun and easy. You come in, you eat, you drink, you dance.”

The idea for Summer Splash came about more than a decade ago, when Shannon, along with other volunteers and key stakeholders, sought out ways to reach a new audience.

“We wanted to figure out a way to get younger people involved, the 25 to 35 age range, and make Courage of Carly (then known as Carly’s Club) their charity of choice.”

At the time, Summer Splash served in some ways as an addition to the existing Carly’s Crossing event, but over the years, it has grown into its own standalone fundraiser.

“It’s evolved with us, but it’s stayed so true to itself and its original cause — to bring people in, have a great night on the water and do it for the kids.”

Summer Splash 2018

Meet the Event Chair

Shannon first got involved with the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation 15 years ago, when she joined the team as an intern.

“That’s when I met Jennifer Hickok, [Director, Corporate Partnerships & Board Relations,] and I moved on from interning, but she didn’t let me move on from Roswell Park,” Shannon laughed. “I stayed in close contact with her, and I had been doing things like helping out with the holiday party and with Courage of Carly. I saw how much of an impact it was having on the kids throughout the community.”

Shannon was hooked and motivated by the mission. She explained, “It became part of my heart, and I couldn’t let it go.” Shannon later became a member of the Roswell Park Alliance Community Board and now serves as the chair of Summer Splash.

Although it’s a one-night event, work for Shannon and her committee is nearly year-round.

“We have a big committee of people who are just as dedicated as I am, so we always have a big celebration after the event. We reflect on what we did, and it’s always like, how can we do more? How can we do better? We start planning almost immediately after the event closes.”

Shannon says what keeps her motivated is knowing they’re working toward finding cures and making lives better for kids affected by cancer and their families.

“Seeing that you helped to make a kid’s day or watching the relief on a mom or dad’s face knowing that they are going to have a little bit of support, that’s all I really need to keep me going.”

Summer Splash 2018

How to Get Involved

Shannon says Summer Splash is always in need of more volunteers. First and foremost, however, they want you to come and experience the event.

If you’re interested in starting your own Courage of Carly event, Shannon offered this advice:

“My advice is to just get started. Even if it’s a couple hundred dollars, it still makes a huge impact.”

Shannon is not only proud of the success and growth of Summer Splash, but she’s also proud of how the dollars they raise are put to work right away to serve people affected by cancer in our community.

“With Courage of Carly, the impact goes far beyond the medicine. The reason that I do this is to make a difference in a kid’s life and to have them experience joys that they maybe aren’t experiencing because of the disease. So, creating memories for them and for their family, that’s the reason that I do this.”

Donate to the Ryan Miller Legacy Fund.

Start your own Courage of Carly Fund fundraiser

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