T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital Teen Group Meets Avril Lavigne

The T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital group Adolescents Together Against Cancer (ATAC) recently attended the Avril Lavigne concert at the Philips Arena in Atlanta on April 18, 2008. The group was given the rare opportunity to go back stage and meet Avril before the concert began.

ATAC is a support group for middle and high school students who are battling cancer.

The group helps teens diagnosed with cancer build relationships with each other through outings to places such as concerts, sporting events, area attractions, and movies. ATAC was formed through the requests of many teenage Children's Hospital patients following a week together at Camp Smile-A-Mile.

"We are extremely grateful for the generosity of Avril Lavigne and her staff for giving our amazing kids the opportunity to spend a few minutes with her before the concert, as well as upgrading our tickets to stage front," says Dr. Eric Gratias, pediatric oncologist at Children's Hospital.

Avril Lavigne is a Canadian Grammy award-nominated pop punk singer. Lavigne has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.

T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital at Erlanger is a member of the Children's Oncology Group, comprising more than 200 children's hospitals around the world. This group is dedicated to treating children with cancer through state-of-the-art therapies and the latest clinical trials. Children's Hospital offers top-notch treatment for the majority of local children diagnosed with cancer, allowing patients and their families to stay close to home.

"It is really wonderful to see a celebrity who is so generous with her time. This was an incredible experience that this group of kids will cherish for the rest of their lives," added Dr. Gratias.

Pictured above (left to right):
Daisy Cummings
Ashley Williams, Child Life Specialist for Pediatric Oncology
Laura Jenkins
Danny Garcia
Kayla Cabrera
Amy Cunningham
Dr. Eric Gratias, Pediatric Oncology
Avril Lavigne
Cheryl Fahr, RN, Pediatric Oncology Clinic Nurse
Misty Lacey
JaMarcus Bentley
Brittany Houser
Aracely Orozco-Gomez