TUCSON (Feb. 5, 2024) – Diamond Children’s Medical Center will host a prom for their teenage patients on March 23 and announced two patients as their prom king and queen during the Thursday, February 1 University of Arizona Men’s Basketball game.
The Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood and Diamond Children’s prom queen and king were crowned by the UArizona Athletics team mascots, Wilbur and Wilma, during the halftime show at the game. During the game, the Arizona men’s basketball head coach Tommy Lloyd and members of the team’s coaching and support staff wore special cancer awareness shoes. International Childhood Cancer Day is Feb. 15 and both the king and queen are battling the illness.
The Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood and Diamond Children’s prom queen is Lainy Sharpe who is battling mesenchymal chondrosarcoma, a very rare type of cancer. She has gone through multiple invasive surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy, which she is still undergoing. Lainy loves spending time with her family and their dogs, she loves sports and painting, as well as scrolling through Tik Tok. This cancer journey has inspired her to want to become a pediatric oncology nurse when she grows up.
The Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood and Diamond Children’s prom king Xavier Goodman was diagnosed with pancreatoblastoma, a very rare cancer – even more rare in children, in 2022. After being in the hospital for months and having his spleen and part of his pancreas removed, he is currently undergoing chemotherapy every 2 weeks. He is a big wildcat’s fan, loves space and science, and loves spending time with his friends and family.
The Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation has been a generous supporter of Banner Children’s programs for several years and has provided a $50,000 grant to sponsor this special prom each year at the non-profit hospital since 2022. The prom provides an opportunity for teens who have experienced illness to partake in this high school tradition that they might otherwise miss due to illness, infection concerns, or hospitalization.
To help ensure that Diamond Children’s can continue hosting a prom for its patients each year, the Banner Health Foundation has created the Diamond Children’s prom fund and invites the Tucson community to learn how their contributions can help: http://give.bannerhealth.com/diamondprom
Banner Children’s – Diamond Children’s Medical Center provides pediatric care for children, from newborns to teens. Services include emergency care, heart disorders, traumatic brain injury, autism and developmental disorders, cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, gastrointestinal and nutritional disorders, neurological problems, orthopedics, intensive care needs and more. It is the only pediatric medical facility in Arizona connected to an academic research facility — the University of Arizona Steele Children’s Research Center — where physician-scientists provide access to groundbreaking science and research to advance children’s health. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com/diamondchildrens.
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