On Episode 465 of the Pennsylvania Rock Show, John “The American Hilljack” Lane invades again to chat with Bill about 20 years of Rock for Life, Iselin Community Park, A Concert for Anna, Zoe, and more.
We also hear from callers: Bill Postle from Doppler Affect, Chip of Chip & The Charge Ups, Jonathan & Colleen from Strobe Lighting and Sound, Jr from Unbroken Soul, Mikey P and E-dog from Skell, Brian Shaffer formerly of (kaj), Robbie Perrone (Endeavor After, LLC) of Lucky Me & Days New Dawn, John Klazon from Western PA Local Music Scene Matty Zero & Cate from Farewell Felica & suffacate Jimmy of Gear Slayer fame, Brandy Daugherty, Jana from First Angel Media, Casey Davis from Rockabilly Junction, Tami Sudy (Matt’s mother-in-law), & Alicia Hruby. We also hear from Matt Ferrante of numerous bands including After the Fall, Silk9, Dimwit, & A Common Crown… and Founder of Rock for Life.
This year’s benefactor:
Zoe is a 6 year old girl who was recently diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. About a month-and-a-half ago she got a small fracture in her back and while she was at the hospital for it doctors ran a bunch of tests and found some abnormal white blood cells in her bloodstream. all within the course of two weeks they had a few tests done and they weren’t sure what was going on at first and then one day while Stephanie was at work, who is her mother, Stephanie got a phone call from the doctor saying that they would like Zoe to come in immediately, they thought that she might have leukemia. Stephanie left work immediately and took Zoe to the hospital and over the course of the next couple days it was trying to figure out what kind of leukemia it would be.
Fortunately it was the one that had a higher survival rate at 80 to 90% but still scary none the less. Stephanie spent the course of the next few weeks with Zoe in the hospital and never left her side and with that being said she missed work and she didn’t qualify for family medical leave because she had not worked at the bank for for over a year which is what is required there. Even now with Zoe being at least at home Stephanie is not able to work currently because of her youngest daughter requiring constant care.
Zoe’s immune system is non-existent, which means the once outgoing always outside playful kid is now basically locked up in a room because she has no means of her body protecting itself. And whenever she had X-rays done on her bones they were almost transparent the doctor said and extremely fragile. Now since we’re in the first 30 days course since she was first diagnosed the doctors goal is to have her into some kind of remission in which the cancer is not progressing anymore by the end of the first 30 days the next 6 months is to get it gone from her body and over the course of two years is what it’ll take to see if it is likely or not to come back. Her family is trying to pitch in what they can do and help her out as much as possible but it is you know really hard being as though they only have means to get by on their own nobody really has any thing extra and it’s a terrible situation a terrible terrible thing.
On Episode 364, we talked to Paul Guerrini of Black Ridge and we touched upon his thoughts about Rock for Life and specifically about his experiences with Alicia Hruby, a past benefactor of the series.