When she's not busy with soccer, basketball, track, dance, or her favorite subject in school, Language Arts, Ava Aita is hard at work raising money for Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center (ACC).
Inspired by the cancer journey of her father, Paul, who is now in remission and by her grandmother, who unfortunately passed away from pancreatic cancer this year, Ava decided to start selling handmade bracelets to family and friends to donate the proceeds to cancer research at the ACC.
Ava's project quickly transformed into an activity for the Aita family to do together during COVID-19 related restrictions, and it also offered an opportunity for all to reflect on Paul's recovery from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This year marks five years in remission. As interest in the campaign grew, the entire family, including Ava's mother, Jamie, her 8-year-old brother, Jake, and after some persuading even Paul pitched in to make the bracelets.
"It represents everything Paul went through, and it brought us closer together," says Jamie, "the kids, especially Ava, have a better understanding of how important it really is to help others by donating this money to research."
The Aitas were shocked when Paul was diagnosed with cancer as a young father. Typically, the "rock" of the family, Paul approached his diagnosis with perspective and a positive outlook. Jamie emphasizes the importance of never giving up, and the family was always there for Paul to lean on. The Aitas turned to the ACC for treatment.
Jamie was appreciative of the compassion, attention, and empathy his family received upon each visit, from Daniel J. Landburg, MD, and his entire care team, "We were just so overwhelmed by the kindness. We also had a nurse, Theresa, who answered every question. She let me text her, which was so helpful in moments of doubt or anxiety," says Jaime.
After the bracelet fundraiser took off, Ava pivoted to t-shirts and now, keychains. Despite only being in seventh grade, Ava is already acutely aware of the power of charitable giving. Her bracelet, t-shirt, and keychain fundraisers were not even Ava's first time giving back to Penn Medicine. She also encouraged her entire school, almost 200 students, to create cards for Penn's Hall of Heroes during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. To all those looking to get involved in philanthropy, Ava says, "Doing what I can and helping out people is good. I'm proud I can do that even though I'm young. Everything helps."
Unrestricted funds, like those the Aita family supports, provide essential resources that have an extraordinary impact across Penn Medicine in basic science, clinical trial development, and collaborative and innovative research. These funds are uniquely positioned to support cancer breakthroughs and interventions of the future — helping patients facing all types of cancer. From revelatory discoveries, to the simple kindness from a nurse to a patient, the ACC is an institution that provides hope and healing.
So, what does Ava want to be when she grows up? A teacher. She's motivated to continue to help others, even in her future career.