On Wednesday, June 24th, the Junior Advisory Board and NextGen members slowly trickled in and arrived in Columbus. We later met in the lobby meeting some for the first time and some we’ve come to befriend. We took on Columbus, having dinner together at Shake Shack. With the JAB and NextGen there’s never a rush - we accommodate each other's paces, we push tables together so no one is excluded, and we always find a spot for someone new.
During our meal we were able to catch up with one another on what we had all been up to. Celebrate those that had just graduated, and those that have hit milestones in their journeys, whether that be a successful surgery, a milestone year, or finally being able to get hearing aids. Then we ended the night like we normally do at FACTOR, around a table playing spoons a little too competitively.
Kicking off FACTOR on Thursday the 25th, we started big. Sitting down at breakfast together filled with pancakes, bacon, and coffee, we discussed what the day would look like. Then JAB/NextGen split to get trained to become an Ambassador Agent or tour Nationwide Children's Hospitals' labs.
Isabel Wolf led our new Ambassador Agents, as they were trained to speak to patients, siblings, and parents. They can help families in ways no one else can. Giving support to families that are currently going through osteosarcoma is such a privilege. Many families can feel lost when their child is first diagnosed with cancer, and it can be hard to find someone who understands what you’re going through. Our ambassador agents are here to listen, understand, and support.
The other half of our group packed up into two buses and headed off to Nationwide Children's. It was such a cool experience to be able to tour labs that are directly helping osteosarcoma patients right now! We were able to visit their wet and dry labs, learning about the process of mapping genes of osteosarcoma and that can be crucial to helping patients, as not all osteosarcoma tumors are uniform. Knowing things like this will help better inform doctors to help give their patients the best treatment options. Another lab we were able to visit was their 3D printing lab, where they create a 1:1 3D model of a patient and their tumor to help inform patients on the best surgery options and also help surgeons visualize surgery. Being able to see these models was so extraordinary. They can better determine where they make cuts so they can save bone not impacted by the tumor, but also make sure that they get all the bone impacted by the tumor. The last lab our JAB/NextGen members were able to visit was the Gait Lab, allowing them to analyze their gait when walking and jumping. It was not only a fun activity - it will hopefully give physicians, physical therapists, and occupational therapists real examples of mobility in patients with all different surgeries and levels of mobility.
We ended our time at Nationwide with a very serious game of Jeopardy, with various topics like Ohio history, MIB facts, things new in science, and more. Speaking of games, we later started FACTOR by doing our annual Docs vs Warriors games.
Our JAB/NextGen representatives Alejandro, Erin, Gillian, Max, and Shannon took on doctors in various games to try to keep the Golden Bone Trophy in the hands of the warriors. They played Connect 4, Operation, Tapple, and donut fishing. Winning most of the rounds, our warriors were able to secure the Golden Bone once more. We ended the night at the FACTOR community dinner at Pins, which was filled with bowling, pizza, and conversation.
We have so many amazing scientific panels every year focusing on research going on right now! Experts in their fields are able to share their findings, but also ask questions that help others see what they were missing. Scientific research is shared many ways at FACTOR: poster board presentations, in-depth seminars, and smaller intimate focus groups (Research Bee). Throughout the weekend, we were able to see the progress we are making and celebrate how far we have come.
Our wellness sessions every year focus on trying new things, finding something calming, or trying something fun. We have sessions to learn a crash course on how to be a Writer Agent with therapy bunnies. For those who want to get out of their mind, we had morning runs, yoga, and sound baths. I personally love to attend our wellness sessions led by our JAB/NextGen members. This year Gillian Okimoto led Writing with Impact with her mother, Stacy Kim, and taught how to write for your audience. They gave their advice on how to write for fundraisers, school, and for yourself. I was also able to attend the salsa dance class presented by NextGen member Andrew for the second year in a row. It is always so fun and definitely good for learning some moves ahead of FACTOR formal. Another quick wellness session to get you ready for formal is a nail art class hosted by Elise.
The formal night was magical, filled with laughter and music. Opening up our night, Sabina McMahon and Sloane Dyer both sang solos to start off the night, Sabina singing an original song, and Sloane singing jazz. We danced our hearts out as the night went on.
My favorite panel that I will never miss is the Patient Panel. It is a panel that highlights why everyone is here and why they are trying to make it better for others. The participants on this panel are willing to be vulnerable and relive things that they might not have thought of in a while. They are also giving real-time feedback to situations that can help physicians better work with patients. Many of these patients have gone through multiple revision surgeries or recurrences, and have overall spent a lot of time in the hospital. They can share the good, what worked for them, and what they’d wish more physicians would do day to day. They also share the struggles they have had to face along the way.
The theme of this FACTOR was being able to make this whole mission possible. Over the short time we all spend together, we are making more possible than we thought ever before, sharing breakthroughs, resources, and support.
