Rock great Roger Daltrey and country trio The Band Perry announced a new partnership with Vanderbilt hospitals on Monday through Daltrey's charity Teen Cancer America.
Before The Who singer's band played Bridgestone Arena on Monday night, Daltrey revealed plans to help create a teen cancer wing at one of Vanderbilt's hospitals. The wing will include specialized facilities and programs to cater to teens and young adults. Whether the wing will be at Vanderbilt University Medical Center or Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is still undecided.
The Band Perry was also named spokespeople for Teen Cancer America during the news conference.
"They don't ask for much," Daltrey said of cancer-stricken teens and young adults. "It's amazing that here we are in 2015 and no one had noticed until recently that this age group, they're too old to be children and they're too young to be adults. They are completely isolated in the hospital system."
Kentucky teen Reese King, 13, was recently diagnosed with leukemia.
"I was pretty bored and it was really hard to build Legos on the end of the hospital bed," he said of his time in a hospital without a teen cancer wing. "They always get lost."
He said he really wants a table, a mini-refrigerator, a DVR and an easy way to communicate with other cancer patients his age who might be staying in the same hospital.
"They want to do things people that age do ... cook for themselves, talk to each other, have a bit a fun," Daltrey said. "The best (therapy) is to talk to each other."
The Band Perry is drawn to Teen Cancer America because the sibling trio realize that much of their fan base is teenagers and young adults. In addition, their father, Steve Perry, is a pediatrician, so they grew up with a heart for helping young people.
As the organization's spokespeople, Kimberly Perry said she and brothers Neil Perryand Reid Perry will help bring awareness to the teen and young adult cancer patients, visit them in hospitals and help figure out what they need to make them feel more at home.
"It's pretty great, what they do," Reid Perry said of Teen Cancer America. "There are no visiting hours. It's all the time. Friends can sleep over. I just think it's a great thing because it's that age when there are a lot of things going on in their heads emotionally and spiritually. I think trying to ease as much of that as possible it a necessary thing. I'm kind of shocked it hasn't been done already."
Daltrey and The Who guitarist Pete Townshend have been patrons of Teenage Cancer Trust in the United Kingdom more than 20 years. They expanded their efforts by founding Teen Cancer America in 2012. Vanderbilt is the 11th hospital to join the organization, which is working with dozens of other hospitals to create specialized facilities and programs to serve teens and young adults.
An opening date for Vanderbilt's teen cancer wing hasn't been determined.
Following in the footsteps of the highly developed and successful Teenage Cancer Trust – Teen and Young Adult Cancer Program out of the UK, Teen Cancer America is designed to help hospitals and healthcare professionals bridge the gap between pediatric and adult oncology care. Teen Cancer America aims to educate and support hospitals and outpatient facilities in the development of specialized units for this age group. The units are a place just for teens and young adults where the cancer experience is understood and the importance of living life through the cancer journey is nourished.
Teen Cancer America’s work supports the coming together of physicians and allied healthcare professionals in both pediatric and adult oncology so that the teen and young adult cancer patient care becomes closer to where it needs to be. Age targeted care for this population is necessary for medical and appropriate psychosocial development of this unique age group. Research shows that some cancers that target this particular age group have not improved in over thirty years while improvements have been made in both pediatric and adult cancers alike. Teens and young adults with cancer are long overdue for an upgrade and Teen Cancer America can hopefully light the fire in America’s health systems.
Our Founders
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who are the driving force behind Teen Cancer America. After over a decade working with Teenage Cancer Trust in the UK, the duo decided to bring their passion across the pond and make a difference in the lives of teens and young adults with cancer in the United States.
Before The Who singer's band played Bridgestone Arena on Monday night, Daltrey revealed plans to help create a teen cancer wing at one of Vanderbilt's hospitals. The wing will include specialized facilities and programs to cater to teens and young adults. Whether the wing will be at Vanderbilt University Medical Center or Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is still undecided.
The Band Perry was also named spokespeople for Teen Cancer America during the news conference.
"They don't ask for much," Daltrey said of cancer-stricken teens and young adults. "It's amazing that here we are in 2015 and no one had noticed until recently that this age group, they're too old to be children and they're too young to be adults. They are completely isolated in the hospital system."
Kentucky teen Reese King, 13, was recently diagnosed with leukemia.
"I was pretty bored and it was really hard to build Legos on the end of the hospital bed," he said of his time in a hospital without a teen cancer wing. "They always get lost."
He said he really wants a table, a mini-refrigerator, a DVR and an easy way to communicate with other cancer patients his age who might be staying in the same hospital.
"They want to do things people that age do ... cook for themselves, talk to each other, have a bit a fun," Daltrey said. "The best (therapy) is to talk to each other."
The Band Perry is drawn to Teen Cancer America because the sibling trio realize that much of their fan base is teenagers and young adults. In addition, their father, Steve Perry, is a pediatrician, so they grew up with a heart for helping young people.
As the organization's spokespeople, Kimberly Perry said she and brothers Neil Perryand Reid Perry will help bring awareness to the teen and young adult cancer patients, visit them in hospitals and help figure out what they need to make them feel more at home.
"It's pretty great, what they do," Reid Perry said of Teen Cancer America. "There are no visiting hours. It's all the time. Friends can sleep over. I just think it's a great thing because it's that age when there are a lot of things going on in their heads emotionally and spiritually. I think trying to ease as much of that as possible it a necessary thing. I'm kind of shocked it hasn't been done already."
Daltrey and The Who guitarist Pete Townshend have been patrons of Teenage Cancer Trust in the United Kingdom more than 20 years. They expanded their efforts by founding Teen Cancer America in 2012. Vanderbilt is the 11th hospital to join the organization, which is working with dozens of other hospitals to create specialized facilities and programs to serve teens and young adults.
An opening date for Vanderbilt's teen cancer wing hasn't been determined.
Following in the footsteps of the highly developed and successful Teenage Cancer Trust – Teen and Young Adult Cancer Program out of the UK, Teen Cancer America is designed to help hospitals and healthcare professionals bridge the gap between pediatric and adult oncology care. Teen Cancer America aims to educate and support hospitals and outpatient facilities in the development of specialized units for this age group. The units are a place just for teens and young adults where the cancer experience is understood and the importance of living life through the cancer journey is nourished.
Teen Cancer America’s work supports the coming together of physicians and allied healthcare professionals in both pediatric and adult oncology so that the teen and young adult cancer patient care becomes closer to where it needs to be. Age targeted care for this population is necessary for medical and appropriate psychosocial development of this unique age group. Research shows that some cancers that target this particular age group have not improved in over thirty years while improvements have been made in both pediatric and adult cancers alike. Teens and young adults with cancer are long overdue for an upgrade and Teen Cancer America can hopefully light the fire in America’s health systems.
Our Founders
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who are the driving force behind Teen Cancer America. After over a decade working with Teenage Cancer Trust in the UK, the duo decided to bring their passion across the pond and make a difference in the lives of teens and young adults with cancer in the United States.
© Moments By Moser Photography * Bev Moser
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