CYC Charity Cup to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital— which has helped one of our own

Hi, my name is Fletcher Rollinson. I am 15 and a sophomore in high school, and grew up at CYC. I also happen to be a brain cancer survivor who was treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

How did I end up at St. Jude? In 2019, I began suffering migraine headaches and an MRI showed that I had a tumor in the pineal gland of my brain. My family and I flew to St. Jude to meet with Dr. Gajjar, a world-renowned pediatric neurooncologist. An initial surgery—an endoscopic biopsy performed by Dr. Boop, an amazing pediatric neurosurgeon— revealed that I had a rare brain tumor, a pineal parenchymal tumor of intermediate differentiation (PPTID), which required a second surgery by Dr. Boop, a posterior fossa craniotomy. Incredibly, Dr. Gajjar had only seen five patients with this type of tumor during his more than 30 years at St. Jude. After my two surgeries, I underwent six weeks of radiation followed by four months of chemotherapy during which I lived in housing, and even attended school, at St. Jude.

Why am I telling you all this? I just wanted to let you to know what an incredible place St. Jude is, not only to me, but also to the thousands of other children who have been and continue to be treated there. St. Jude will forever hold a special place in my heart. I likely would not be here writing this article for the Islander if it were not for Dr. Gajjar, Dr. Aditi, Dr. Boop, and all of the other doctors, nurses and staff at St. Jude.

I understand that the money raised in this year’s Charity Cup at CYC in late July will be donated to St. Jude and I couldn’t be happier. So, when the time comes to get behind the Charity Cup, please keep me and the thousands of other St. Jude patients in your mind as well as in your heart.

For more information and to support the cause, visit events.stjude.org/ CYCCharityRegatta.

— Fletcher Rollinson

This event supports a great cause, the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Save these dates:

JULY 22 - Poker Run

JULY 27 - Ladies and Juniors Thursday night races

JULY 28 - Auction

JULY 29 - Racing followed by Casino afternoon and Blender Party

JULY 30 - Racing and Awards

TBD - Aquathon

If you would like to volunteer or make a donation, contact P/C Mike FitzGibbon at waterfrontdirector@cycrr.org or 440-336-1641.

Stay tuned for more information to come this summer.