GP AWARDS GRANT TO WVU ROCKEFELLER NEUROSCIENCE INSTITUTE
Gladiator Project is thrilled to announce the award of a $15,000 grant to the West Virgina University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI).
In early 2021, West Virginia native and WVU graduate Eric South was diagnosed with glioblastoma – an aggressive form of brain cancer. Eric and his wife Leslie were faced with the question: what do we do now? Both were troubled to find that there were few resources readily available to answer this vital inquiry.
Through their diligent research and fortitude, the Souths were able to unlock numerous opportunities for treatment and patient support related to this dreaded disease.
However, rather than focus solely on their own significant challenges, the Souths established the nonprofit charity Gladiator Project, with the mission to raise money for brain cancer research and provide support for patients and their families to fight the disease like gladiators.
Immediately after its establishment, the GP Board of Directors went to work and experienced success in raising funds through the outpouring of generous support from donors. Such fundraising success thankfully continued, and the focus then turned to the most effective way to maximize impact.
We learned that knowledge is the most powerful tool in this fight, and it is obtained not only through constant communication between patients and their medical providers, but also by connecting with other afflicted patients and their families.
Enter Dr. Christopher Cifarelli of WVU Cancer Institute and Rochelle Goodwin of WVU RNI!
After multiple informative and detailed discussions with these two individuals and their teams, Gladiator Project unanimously approved a $15,000 grant to provide digital tablets and other resources for 20 current patients in West Virginia diagnosed with glioma, a type of tumor that originates in the glial cells of the brain and spinal cord. The goal is to connect and engage glioma patients across West Virginia, where there are currently no support groups registered with the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA), another GP charity partner.
Dr. Cifarelli explained that access to brain tumor-specific support groups is limited in the Mountain State by the rarity of the diagnosis and the state’s rural setting, and that virtual treatment and support groups are growing due to greater use of telehealth resources.
Eric South is a native of West Virginia and is the proud son of coal miner. He currently continues his courageous fight against glioblastoma with the support of Leslie, their two boys Charlie and Marshall, and his extensive network of family and friends.
Through Gladiator Project, Eric has selflessly committed to helping others on this same journey. He is our Gladiator, and we are his soldiers.
-Sean Cook, Board Member