Hi Team, Yoni here - thanks for visiting my support page. Let me share a little bit about myself and why this cause means so much to me.

Many years ago, I dreamed of becoming a music therapist, so I signed up to studying psychology with the hope of playing a couple of tunes for children going through a challenging time in their life. During the final years of my undergrad, I volunteered as a counsellor at an incredible camp called Camp Simcha, a camp for kids with cancer. It's pretty much a place where the toughest battles are fought with hearts and smiles, and anything is possible. The experience was so life-changing that I thought, hey, I need to be a pediatric oncologist.

So, I set back in the Australian summer spending the long beach days teaching myself chemistry and physics so I could sit the medical school entrance exam. With a bit of luck, I got in! I somehow made it through medical school, got accepted to pediatric training (I think they needed to fill their quote of awkward nerdy male hipsters), and then specialized in pediatric hematology and oncology, eventually becoming a pediatric bone marrow transplant doctor.

And then there was last year, I had the incredible opportunity to do a fellowship in pediatric bone marrow transplant in New York City. On my first day in the big apple, I was chatting to my new boss, sharing the story of how Camp Simcha inspired my journey and to my surprise, he said, "I’m the medical director of the camp—you have to come this summer as a doctor!" Shout out to him and the crew!

So, in July, I returned to Camp Simcha, this time as a doctor. It was a whirlwind experience that I can't even begin to put into words. The work they do there is nothing short of amazing, and it’s a privilege to be a part of it.

Ok, So now I'm here running the NYC marathon to raise money for Chai Lifeline, the incredible organization behind Camp Simcha. They provide so much support to these kids and their families—everything from emotional and financial assistance to transportation and just anything they need. And I need your help to make a difference. Your donation, no matter how big or small, will bring make a massive difference to these children and their families going through a difficult time.

Let’s do this together! Thanks so much for your support!

Lots of Love,

YD