Page 12 - Talk of Tequesta - June '23

Page 12, The Talk Of Tequesta

good works

Pediatric Oncology Support Team Raises Over $290,000

While Celebrating 25 Years Helping Local Children Battling Cancer

During 2023 Annual Gold Ribbon Heroes Luncheon

Local families battling childhood cancer have not had to
walk through cancer alone thanks to a one-of-a-kind foundation,
Pediatric Oncology Support Team (POST). More than 2,200
children and their families have benefitted from POST’s support
over the past 25 years, and those milestones were celebrated on
May 10 during the 2023 Annual Gold Ribbon Heroes Luncheon
where the nonprofit raised over $290,000 towards their mission
of providing compassionate, emotional and financial support to
help local families courageously fight childhood cancer.
Featuring a Royal Jubilee-themed luncheon, which included a
raffle, call to heart and silent auction, the annual event welcomed
more than 200 supporters to the elegant Frenchman’s Reserve Dr. Barbara Abernathy and
Country Club. At the door, attendees were greeted by palace Legacy Supporter Perry Event Chair Lori and Tim
guards before being ushered into the London-inspired gala, Polo for Life Brandon Phillips, Dr. Barbara Abernathy Weisberg McAlear
complete with Beatles-era live music.
Following a touching Call
to the Heart auction led by Jay
all abouT kids Zeager, the luncheon concluded
with a special presentation from
Brandon Phillips and Polo for
Life of a $130,000 donation.
“Thanks to all of the
Dysgraphia In support from the luncheon,
I am thrilled to say we have
Children Explained raised a record-breaking POST Survivor Hero –
amount for our mission,” said Ashley Tiberio, and dad
POST President and CEO, Dr. Ralph Tiberio
Dr. Narayana Gowda, Jay, Micah, Emily and Elijah Holland Barbara Abernathy. “Whether
By Jim Forgan, Ph.D., School Psychologist it’s helping parents navigate through the medical process involved
Once seated for lunch, supporters were greeted by Event in cancer treatment; gas cards for them to take their child for
Dysgraphia is a type of Chair Lori McAlear and POST Board Chair Penny Payne treatments; helping them with household bills, or just having
writing learning disability who introduced guest emcee, Shannon Cake. Cake revealed a compassionate shoulder to lean upon – Pediatric Oncology
that is recognized by her personal experience with POST before introducing POST Support Team is with them through every step of their journey,
Florida public schools. President and CEO, Dr. Barbara Abernathy. After Dr. Abernathy and we couldn’t do it without the community’s support.”
When a child has shared the many successes and challenges of families who Committee members of this year’s luncheon included
dysgraphia writing can be struggle with the last news any parent wants to hear, Cake Event Chair Lori McAlear and Men’s Gold Ribbon
a mentally overwhelming, introduced the event’s honored guest, Elijah Holland, and his Ambassador Vic Koziura.
physically exhausting, and dad, Jay Holland. About Pediatric Oncology Support Team (POST)
time consuming. It might First diagnosed with cancer at age 5, Holland battled cancer Pediatric Oncology Support Team (POST) makes sure no
be dysgraphia if your child for years until going into remission. Unfortunately, his family family walks their child’s journey with cancer alone by providing
does not enjoy writing and faced the devastating news in 2021 that the cancer had returned local children and their families the compassionate emotional and
has a negative attitude in full force. During that time, POST was there to help with the financial support they need. Visit postfl.org for more information.
toward writing. Children with dysgraphia are not all family’s bills and lend support while the parents took Holland to Photos by Elizabeth Dashiell
the same and dysgraphia presents in various ways. his treatments. Holland is now cancer-free and took to the stage
Some children with dysgraphia have messy looking during the luncheon to share his story. Good Works on page 13
handwriting, others have an awkward pencil grasp
which fatigues their hand, other children have difficulty
quickly copying from the board to their paper, and some
are poor spellers.
Furthermore, many children with dysgraphia often
have great thoughts and can speak more eloquently
than they write. For example, a recent client’s child
had dysgraphia. The boy’s second-grade schoolteacher
required weekly homework to write each spelling word
in a sentence. Dysgraphia impeded his handwriting
and ability to put thoughts onto paper so rather than
elaborate sentences, he wrote very simple sentences.
For the word, “supper” he wrote, “I eat supper.” This
simple sentence pattern repeated for words such as
“color” and “inside” with sentences such as “I like to
color.” and “I go inside.”
Although the boy correctly used the spelling word,
the teacher did not like the simplicity of his sentences and
noted this in large red ink on his paper. This was not the
child being lazy but rather him coping with dysgraphia.
After an evaluation and diagnosis with me, the parent
got the school to give her son a 504 Plan to give teachers
understanding and her son accommodations.
The causes of dysgraphia may include weak finger
control, fine motor difficulty, seeing information one
way but writing it a different way, rapid recall from
memory difficulty, slow processing speed, working
memory weakness or a combination of factors.
Treatment for dysgraphia can include occupational
therapy, working with an educational therapist, home-
based exercises to increase motor control, keyboarding,
and learning writing strategies.
Call to discuss your child as we test students ages
5.5 through college for dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD,
depression, anxiety, and other processing disorders.
Visit JimForgan.com or call (561) 625-4125.