The Doctor

There’s something particularly inspiring about the Dance Marathon marking the conclusion of BuckeyeThon, Ohio State’s student-driven fundraiser for kids with cancer and blood disorders. Even the doctors leave feeling rejuvenated.

“When we go back to work on Monday morning, everyone is just pumped up and ready to go,” said Dr. Keri Streby, a pediatric oncologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor at Ohio State. “It brings a new energy into everyone in our division.”

And it brings even more to the hospital. BuckeyeThon funds the programs at Nationwide that help kids forget about their cancer and blood disorders for a while. Most of the money raised goes toward the hospital’s psychosocial services, which include art and music therapy, massage and – if the child is hospitalized long enough – help with school work.

“We try to do as much as we can to give them a normal kid life, but it’s very challenging at times,” Streby said. “And that’s where BuckeyeThon steps in and helps give them back their kid life.”

The money raised also goes to training and research. It assists in the slow, expensive process of discovering new treatments and getting them approved. Fighting cancer and blood disorders isn’t easy. Not for the kids who have it, and not for the doctors working hard to treat them. So the BuckeyeThon Boost – that jolt of energy that follows the dance marathon – is a welcomed weapon in the battle. “I love coming to the BuckeyeThon Dance Marathon,” Streby said. “It inspires and motivates us.”