Back in March of 2001, Lauren Lovich (now 18) was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma Stage 3 which is a type of childhood cancer. At the time, she was only 2 and a half years old. Lovich went under various procedures, including three rounds of chemotherapy and surgery to remove the tumor. During her surgery, the surgeons hit a nerve which caused her to develop Horners Syndrome (a condition where one eyelid is lower than the other). Due to the location of her tumor, she was also a prime candidate to Scoliosis.
In 2012, the doctor's predictions came true and Lovich had to get Spinal Fusion surgery to correct this. Recovery for Lauren was only supposed to be one month but ended up being six months, making her miss most of the 8th grade. She lost touch with many of her friends and was constantly teased for her scars and her droopy eyelid. Eventually, in 2014, Lauren decided to get surgery to correct her eyelid.
“I’ve never expected to face any of these obstacles and it’s crazy to think I’ve overcome them.” -Lauren Lovich
During Lauren’s journey, she met a girl named Zoe Bonowitz (now 16). Zoe lived across the street from Lauren and had Wilms Tumor. After this, Zoe was diagnosed with cancer two more times. Cancer survivors go for yearly testing to monitor their health. Unfortunately, about three weeks ago, Zoe and her family didn’t get the news they would have hoped to receive. According to Zoe’s mom, the team of Doctors have found that the cancer has manifested itself into her lungs. There is no staging and they have proceeded with radioactive iodine therapy. Zoe’s treatment started on Tuesday, September 6, 2016. The treatment will take ten days and then a scan will take place. As of Friday, September 9, 2016, Zoe is radioactive and is in isolation for a week. The side effects have begun and unfortunately, her glands are badly swollen right now.
Since Lauren Lovich and Zoe Bonowitz have known each other since they were both very young, Lauren has decided to take it upon herself to raise funds to help the Bonowitz family with the expensive medical bills.
A benefit show at The Voltage Lounge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will be held on November 11, 2016, from 5-9pm. Currently, a GoFundMe page is set up to help pay for the use of the venue, travel costs for bands, posters, and other necessities before the show can happen (See Link: https://www.gofundme.com/benefitshowforzoe?r=78699 ). All proceeds made from the show itself will be going directly to the Bonowitz family.
Lauren has been making updates to her personal Facebook account to keep people informed of Zoe’s current conditions. On the GoFundMe page Lauren states:
“I know what it’s like to have cancer and for as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to do the most I could to help people who are going through the same thing I did. I’ve tried planning shows before but with school and work it was too much for me to do on my own. This hits close to home though and right now, I’ve got a pretty good team of people to help me out.”
Whether you are able to donate or not, any little bit helps. Sharing the GoFundMe page makes all the difference. Lauren Lovich and the Bonowitz family appreciate all the support they’ve received and any future support they will receive.
