Westwood High School juniors Christina Eldamaa, Divya Gummuluru and Katie Tran are the driving force behind the Cancer Kids First Westwood Club. They are featured along with faculty advisor, Sophia Daly, on the January cover and the work they've done in less than two years since the club was born has been impactful.
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By Tom Leyden
Photos By: Rick Bern Photography
Gathered around a table in a relatively busy Westwood High School library shortly after final dismissal, I chat with Westwood juniors Katie Tran, Divya Gummuluru and Christina Eldamaa. Each girl has a glow in her eye, proud of what they've collectively achieved in less than two years as members of the Cancer Kids First Westwood club. Directly across from Katie, to my right, sits Sophia Daly, a biology teacher and faculty club advisor.
Cancer Kids First, now an international organization, was founded in 2019 by then 14-year-old Olivia Zhang, a student at McLean High School in McLean, VA. Zhang's mission was simple - empower youth to work together in an effort to better the lives of kids with cancer. That simple goal has blossomed into a massive success story, with chapters of Cancer Kids First sprouting around the world, from the United States to India to Bangladesh to Mongolia to Pakistan and beyond.
Tran, a member of Westwood High's Student Council, was drawn to the cause and pursued the steps necessary to open a local chapter.
"I actually found out about the organization Cancer Kids First through a TikTok," said Tran. "I was scrolling on my feed and one of their promotional videos popped up, showcasing what they do and encouraging individuals to start chapters, whether it's a regional chapter or a school chapter like our chapter is."
At first, Katie figured she would volunteer from afar, but after some research, it became clear she could expand the organization's footprint to Westwood and share the responsibility with her fellow Wolverines. Katie filled out an application to start a chapter and completed a thorough process with the high school, including the necessary step of finding a faculty club advisor.
"Katie roped me into this duty," said Daly. "I was Katie's teacher for freshman bio. At the end of the year she asked if I would be interested in being a club advisor. I was also a first-year teacher, so I had no idea what being a club advisor even meant in terms of responsibility, but I said yes, because I adore Katie and the club sounded great."
In the nearly 20 months since, Cancer Kids First Westwood has made a significant impact, teaming with Mass General Hospital in Boston in an effort to brighten the lives of children fighting cancer in different ways, from designing cards to making care packages to fundraising.
"We made care packages for patients at Mass General for Halloween," said Tran. "We hope to continue making care packages and goodie bags as the year progresses. We're also thinking about doing a toy drive and other events to fundraise. Then we'll use those funds to benefit the pediatric cancer patients."
Tran is president of the Cancer Kids First Westwood club, with Gummuluru and Eldamaa joining her as officers this year.
"I was a part of the group last year, just as a member, and I had a lot of fun," said Gummuluru. "This year, I'm the treasurer and I did it because it’s a great way for me to improve my organizational skills and really, it's just nice. I like the idea of having that one-on-one connection when helping other people. That’s what this club aims to provide. It's really great."
"I think there's definitely been a lot of growth from when the club first started until now," said Eldamaa. "I started as a regular club member and now I have a leadership position as secretary. From the first meeting I attended last year until now, there's been huge growth in how much attendance we're having at meetings. There's also a growth in how well we're doing with our fundraising, as well as the events we're planning. I think we've done so many events, just this fall, compared to last year."
The club was thrown into high-gear immediately when the 2022-23 school year began. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, so urgency accompanied the back-to-school rush. Cancer Kids First Westwood was heavily involved in the volleyball program's Dig Yellow initiative, which raised approximately $800. Also in September, members of the club organized a tent for Westwood Day, raising another $1,000 as residents from around town stopped by and showed support.
Seeing the tangible results of their efforts has inspired all three officers to stay focused on the mission and brainstorm how they can do even more, not only with the club, which has close to 150 student members, but also with their own individual pursuits.
"Orthopedic surgery interests me," said Eldamaa. "I've always had an interest in medicine and I've always found myself reading up about different things involved in it. I do summer programs to learn more about this field of study. I'm specifically interested in orthopedic surgery because I'm a gymnast and I'm always injured and I'm constantly seeing my orthopedic doctor, so that specific area interests me a lot."
"I never really decided whether I wanted to pursue a STEM or humanities career, but this club helped me realize there are more options for careers in medicine than just simply being a doctor," said Gummuluru. “I think psychology is really interesting. I've had that interest for a while. Cancer Kids First has shown me that you have to think about how everyone's feeling, how the patients are feeling. It's not just the sickness. You also have to care for their mental and physical wellbeing in general."
"I've always had an interest in medicine, honestly, ever since I was a kid," said Tran. "Growing up, I've had family members who won their battle with cancer. Seeing their experiences in the hospital environment inspired me to pursue a career in medicine."
And that devotion to health care married perfectly with the enjoyment Katie experiences working with kids.
"I'm a swim instructor. I like teaching kids," she said. "I see kids as the future of our world, so I've always wanted to be a pediatric doctor. Then after starting Cancer Kids First Westwood, I narrowed my potential career prospects to pediatric oncology. Growing up is difficult, even more difficult when you’re a pediatric patient and you have to grow up in a hospital environment. That’s why I’m so dedicated to making an impact on the lives of pediatric cancer patients."
The success and popularity of the club has permeated the hallways and piqued the interest not only of students, but also other teachers.
"One of the world language teachers approached me to discuss the possibility of incorporating more service-learning into her curriculum," said Daly. "She was talking about perhaps card-writing in different languages, not only with members of Cancer Kids First, but with all the students. Together we came up with this idea of sending those cards in Spanish, French, Mandarin, you name it, to all of these different hospitals in different countries. That's something we're really excited about."
Not bad when you consider how this mission began. Next time you see your kids on Tik Tok, just remember they may be inspired to start a club that can change the world, and their lives, for the better. You just never know.
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From left: Christina, Diyva and Katie
By Lynn Taylor
Brand and Buzz Marketing, founded by Westwood resident Parna Sarkar-Basu, was named the winner in the thought leadership and brand management categories in the Stevie Awards for Women in Business - the world's premier business awards for women executives, entrepreneurs and the organizations they run.
Parna, an active voice in gender inclusivity, builds initiatives to inspire women in technology and future innovators. A long-time resident of Westwood, Parna has served on various local boards and created programs for schools and the community. Her son and daugher both graduated from Westwood High School.
Thanks to the success of branding projects with numerous global companies, including iRobot, Kaminario, Invention Machine, Onshape, Panviva and Topos Labs, Parna has been frequently asked to speak at industry conferences and events.
Congratulations to Parna and the team at Brand and Buzz Marketing for this significant achievement.
WESTWOOD – Frigid January air stings the nose with each breath. A pale, distant sun hangs low in the southeastern sky, its journey markedly diminished from summer’s high. And holiday revelry is just memories now. There is yet no tangible evidence that the solstice is nearly a month behind us. In this cold, I hear the still, and the silence. I love this kind of cold.
Or do I?
For so long, I wore impervious like a cloak of honor. Me, the one who would ski in any weather, Jack Frost be damned. The one who slept with the windows open in winter, much to the chagrin of my sister down the hall. When I found out the Gem liked the cold (almost) as much as me, it was like love at first frostbite. Patriots-Titans playoff game in January of 2004? Kickoff temperature of four degrees? We were there, and I can tell you the parking lot tailgate lasted even longer than the game.
But maybe that old cloak has become threadbare. Me, I thought you knew me, I have shunned a few ski days these last few years, no longer braving subzero mornings. There is not a snowball’s chance in hell I would leave windows open all night, between the heating bills and the likely family mutiny. Would I go to another playoff game with those conditions? Well…hey, the dynasty appears to be on the wane, so I might not have to decide right away on that one!
Either way, the emperor needs more cloaks.
Midwinter cold once conjured up the wonderment of childhood snow. Frolicking, sledding, throwing. Snow angels, snow forts. The warmth of coming inside to hot chocolate and the fire. As we hurtle through the middle of life, it changes a bit. Snow isn’t fun. We plow through daily tasks and responsibilities – too big to sled, preoccupied with other adventures anyway. We watch the kids play, recreate some of those experiences for them, and remember.
The passage of time weighs on me this morning. Observing nature’s annual hibernation, childhood memories compete with decades of adult memories – all of which begin a slow fade at the end of each today.
Joy and sorrow. A baby is born. A wedding, or maybe a funeral. Young adults spreading their wings, learning to fly. A high school friend, gone at 48. A very happy 20th wedding anniversary. Friends losing parents and parents losing friends. Joy and sorrow, one following the other, never predictable. Joy and sorrow, every little milepost seen through big prisms: my childhood, my mother’s 1993 death, my wedding, my kids’ births. Joy and sorrow. They do not stop. They do not stop. These thoughts fill my mind like a blizzard.
Friends complain about the cold, joke about retiring to Florida. Some are not joking – for it is no longer beyond the horizon of chronological contemplation.
Another day for all that. This morning is crystal clear, windless, bitter. The sun looks and feels like a small flashlight. I look at the calendar and the weather apps, trying to decide when I’ll drive north and hit the slopes again. And memories mix with my midwinter morning.
There is yet no tangible evidence that the solstice is nearly a month behind us. In this old, I hear the still, and the silence. I love this kind of cold.
Or do I?
Westwood Living? No…thank YOU for living in Westwood. See you next month, and I look forward to hearing from you any time at jayresha@comcast.net.
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