Whales Lax: Pod 4 Playing for Camron Cozzi
Make Your Donation Using the Orange Button Below
Please include a comment with your donation that indicates how you heard about our fundraiser. You may also include a note for Camron Cozzi. Thank you so much for your support!
On December 22, 2015, 16-year-old Camron Cozzi learned that he had a rare brain tumor called DIPG. The doctors gave his family the devastating news that there is no cure for this type of cancer and that the cancer is very aggressive.
Despite the fact that there is no current cure for DIPG, Cam’s family is leaving no stone unturned. He did radiation and is now doing immunotherapy in Germany. We all remain hopeful that the immunotherapy will be the breakthrough this dreadful disease needs!
Cam is a sophomore at Bonney Lake High School and an avid lacrosse player. He plays for both his high school and Maniax club team. His older brother Jordan is also a lax player. When Whales Lax learned of Cam’s story, they knew we had to reach out and help in any small way we could. Camron has earned the admiration of many for his bravery in battling this disease, including Major League Lacrosse’s Paul Rabil who sent a video to Camron, which you can watch below.
Follow Whales Lax on Instagram (@whaleslax) and Twitter (@whales_lax) to keep up on our team, Cam’s progress and our fundraising efforts. Help Cam fulfill his wish to get on The Ellen Show. Tag @TheEllenShow in Twitter and Instagram posts from Whales & others in the lax community.
Pod 4 is made up of boys with grad years 2020 and 2021. They are asking supporters to make donations to the Michael Mosier Defeat DIPG Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to funding DIPG research.
Please pray for Camron & his family.
Whales Lax is an invitation-only lacrosse team that unites talented players who have a passion for the game, respect for others, a sense of humor and a strong desire to help others. Every tournament Whales Lax enters involves giving back to the community and players are expected to embrace the cause. It now includes teams for boys and girls. In its first year the Whales Lax players and supporters have donated over $30,000 to charities for cancer reserach and awareness.
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a brain tumor found in a part of the brain stem called the pons. The pons controls essential bodily functions such as heartbeat, breathing, swallowing, eye movement, eyesight, and balance.
DIPG affects children almost exclusively. Approximately 200-400 children in the United States are diagnosed with DIPG each year. These children are typically between the ages of 5 and 10. DIPG accounts for roughly 10-15% of all brain tumors in children.
DIPG is an aggressive tumor that interferes with all bodily functions, depriving a child of the ability to move, to communicate, and even to eat and drink. As a DIPG tumor begins to grow, it puts pressure on the nerves that control the essential bodily functions regulated by the pons.
Click HERE to learn more about DIPG.