Alexa walks for global health and cancer care
Alexa takes steps in the Jimmy Fund Walk for Dana-Farber to help children in Rwanda return to school after cancer treatment.
Members of GO-YP are happy to welcome researchers and physicians from Rwanda to Boston.
The Jimmy Fund Walk for Dana-Farber in Massachusetts. Children in Rwanda, Africa, returning to school after cancer treatment. What do the two have in common? Alexa Hui.
Alexa is a 26-year-old student at Harvard Medical School (HMS), training in surgical oncology. She has a passion for providing equitable cancer outcomes to patients around the world, sparked by a trip to Zimbabwe on a research grant.
After joining HMS’s Global Oncology Young Professionals (GO-YP) group, Alexa was introduced to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Center for Global Cancer Medicine and their longstanding partnerships with the Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence (BCCOE) in Rwanda and the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE).
Her work in Rwanda has helped Alexa see firsthand how Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is working with other nations to expand access to cancer care. A clear theme emerged from her conversations with students and clinicians at BCCOE and UGHE: children who have completed cancer treatment are struggling with returning to school due to stigma, financial barriers, and psychosocial challenges.
“Our vision is to fill this gap with a program designed to support pediatric cancer survivors as they reenter school,” Alexa says.
This new initiative, called Helping Oncology Pediatric Patients Excel (HOPE), will be based out of the BCCOE in Rwanda. Alexa and her team are using the results of surveys conducted with pediatric patients and their families to ensure HOPE can support these students based on their expressed needs.
From school reentry planning and school supplies to psychosocial counseling, peer support mentorship, and awareness campaigns aimed at reducing stigmas surround pediatric cancer, HOPE will give students, families, and communities the resources they need to improve not just medical outcomes, but the totality of cancer care in Rwanda.
Khushi Kohli, another member of GO-YP at HMS, is helping Alexa lead the HOPE project. “When I was younger, my mom was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML),” Khushi notes. “Many patients with AML require a bone marrow transplant, preferably from a shared-ethnicity donor. My mom’s cancer treatment has opened my eyes to the urgent need for improved therapies—and the work Dana-Farber is doing to develop more equitable AML treatments.”
Khushi is furthering the HOPE project by connecting with students and leaders at UGHE, creating the needs survey and performing data analysis of survey results.
Inspired by the power of teamwork they have witnessed in their work, Alexa, Khushi, and students from GO-YP, the HMS Africa Health Student Club, and UGHE’s student interest group decided to form a team for the Jimmy Fund Walk for Dana-Farber presented by Hyundai.
“The Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber quickly became the natural home for our fundraising efforts,” Alexa says. “They represent not only world-class cancer care in Boston, but also a commitment to improving cancer outcomes globally.”
Team HMS Global Oncology Young Professionals walks to raise funds for Dana-Farber’s Center for Global Cancer Medicine, which will help build and evaluate the pilot of their HOPE program. With their busy clinical and academic schedules, getting their fundraising off the ground wasn’t easy. But their passion for equitable cancer care around the world was stronger. Her advice to other walkers?
“Find partners—teamwork is essential. Be informed by community needs. Our research has helped us feel confident we will provide our community with resources they actually need and want.”
Alexa inspires us to reflect on what connects us as humans around the world. As a Walk Team Captain, Alexa is turning her passion into action by helping to provide all-encompassing cancer care—particularly to children who deserve to return to school, dream boldly, and excel.
Lastly, Alexa encourages everyone to take it one step at a time. Improving global health and cancer care is a massive undertaking. “Small, steady steps taken by many can move us toward a much larger goal. We leverage the opportunities we have to support our vision, like the Jimmy Fund Walk for Dana-Farber,” she says. “By walking with us, donating, or sharing our story, people are ensuring that we aren’t only helping the patients in front of us, but also are growing the systems that advance equity in cancer care around the globe.”
Join Alexa by supporting Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s lifesaving mission to provide compassionate patient care and groundbreaking cancer research for children and adults.
Since 1948, the generosity of millions of people has helped the Jimmy Fund save countless lives and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and families worldwide through community-based fundraising events and other programs that solely and directly benefit Dana-Farber. Learn more about how you can get involved at JimmyFund.org, and follow the Jimmy Fund on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram: @TheJimmyFund.
