BRANDON, Fla. — Mary Ann Massolio has worked as a pediatric oncologist social worker for more than thirty years and is the executive director of 1Voice Foundation.
Just three years into her career, her nine-year-old son Jay was diagnosed with fourth stage Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, giving her a firsthand view of the programs offered to kids and families who are battling the disease.
1Voice Foundation now offers more than 20 programs for pediatric cancer families in Tampa Bay. The group’s philosophy is that the whole family is diagnosed when a child is told they have cancer.
Massolio says she's on the frontlines of offering support.
“I always tell people, 'I’ll be that shoulder,' or 'just slap me,'" Massolio said. "Whatever you need to do, but just get it out."
She's made it her mission to offer kids opportunities they're often robbed of while they're going through treatment.
“As mommies and daddies, we spend a lot of time telling our children, 'no.' 'I’m so sorry, you can’t play football, you’re going to have to miss the birthday party,'” Massolio said.
Massolio says because of that, it's important to say yes to keeping life as structured and normal as possible.
"You tell a child they have cancer, literally one of their first thoughts is, 'well I can still go to school though, right?' You know, if you think kids don’t want to go to school, tell them they can’t," Massolio said.
The executive director added that if kids fall behind academically, "it just adds more resentment to their disease."
1Voice Academy gives kids the opportunity to learn together in a safe environment that caters to their need.
“What we try to do here is accommodate, without making the child feel accommodated,” explains Massolio.
It's the only school of its kind in the country, partnering with the Hillsborough County Hospital Homebound program to offer kids access to schoolwork and teachers, while they're in the midst of treatment.
“It’s just beautiful how much they support each other. Yes, they should be talking about Taylor Swift and what they’re wearing to the prom, and they do, but they also cheer each other on," Massolio said.
Massolio says right now, there's nothing else like this in the country, but she's determined to be the model for other schools willing to give kids a similar chance to keep up with their schooling, while they're fighting cancer.
"I always tell people, I’m flying the plane and I don’t really know where we’re landing, we might hit some turbulence but the bottom line is, we’re making a difference," Massolio said.