Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Jo Stavinoha.
Hi Mary Jo, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story started on September 22, 2006. My parents received the news that their 6 1/2-year-old daughter had full-blown ALL Leukemia. It is crazy to think that my last treatment was in January of 2009, already 14 years ago. My cancer journey at Texas Children’s hospital was a huge part of my childhood, along with my siblings. I am now 23 years old, 14 years cancer free and I still remember most of my journey. I was in chemotherapy treatments for 2 1/2 years, so from ages 6 1/2 to almost 9 years old. I was treated at Texas Children’s Hospital. Treated and surrounded by some of the best doctors. Truthfully, I would not be who I am or where I am in life without the people I met through Texas Children’s Hospital or without my cancer journey. I was able to attend and experience things that I would have never imagined.
My cancer journey has impacted my life in SO many ways! I know for a fact I would not be where I am in my life now without the impact of my cancer journey. Throughout high school as a young teenager, I volunteered avidly at Texas Children’s Hospital on the cancer floors and hosting toy drives for the kids during the Christmas season. Even during college, my journey impacted my life. I got involved with B.I.G. Love Cancer Care during my 4 years at Texas A&M University. As a freshman, I was interested in joining a women’s organization. The organization Aggie Southern Darlings stood out to me because of their philanthropy, B.I.G. Love Cancer Care. I was very involved in the philanthropy of this organization, and thanks to the wonderful Aggie Network is how I got offered the job of being B.I.G. Love’s Event and Development Director. All before I had even officially graduated. I am forever grateful and honored to be working for such a wonderful organization. Now, my career is embracing the mission of B.I.G. Love Cancer Care. The mission of easing the childhood cancer journey for patients and families. All-in-all, my cancer journey has made me the person I am today, and I could not be more grateful. If you would have told me at 8 years old, while I was going through my chemo, that I would grow up to have the career and be where I am now, I would have never believed you; it is too good to be true.
As the Event and Development Director for B.I.G. Love Cancer Care, I am involved in and manage fundraising events. Also, going to speak and talk to companies and individuals about B.I.G. Love and how they can get involved & become a donor. Truthfully, this organization is the real deal, hands on helping children going through their cancer journey. We provide tangible services helping to make their journey more comfortable.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Everyone has struggles in some way. After what I have been through in my earlier years, I don’t feel as though the struggles I have endured are much to complain about. But struggling with my first year in college, wanting to drop out was a struggle I endured. Looking back, I am forever grateful I never gave up; it is because of my college career that I am able to pursue my passion for helping children with cancer. Another struggle I endured while figuring out who I was and what I wanted to do with my future was my mom getting diagnosed with breast cancer. Some resent the covid year and having to be away from school, friends, etc., but I am grateful to have been home during that time & for my classes to have been remote. In October of 2020, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was able to stay home, continue with school, and help take care of her after her major surgery.
Like I mentioned above, everyone has struggles, and those are just a sneak peek into some major ones that impacted where I am today and who I am. After experiencing cancer and chemotherapy myself, and then experiencing my mother being diagnosed and going through her surgeries, the little things are just minor bumps along the road. I think overall, I have had a relatively smooth road, with some “speed bumps” along the way. But I am always very grateful for the life and people in my life I have been blessed with.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My “work” is something I have been very passionate about for a long time. I am the Event and Development Director for a non-profit called B.I.G. Love Cancer Care. B.I.G. Love’s one primary focus is easing the childhood cancer journey. B.I.G. Love Cancer Care’s core mission is to meet the most basic and urgent physical, emotional, and financial needs of pediatric oncology and hematology patients and their families. We now serve children fighting cancer in 9 large hospitals across Texas. We provide 15+ services to these children and their families 52 weeks of the year. We have services such as weekly wish baskets, we help pay for funeral expenses, pay rent for struggling families, provide gas cards, groceries, toys, peer support groups, etc. We are a unique organization in that all services we provide to these children and families are tangible. They will get immediate comfort or relief from our services. Also, our organization is a local, grassroots organization founded and run by mostly cancer families or people who have been directly impacted by childhood cancer (like myself).
As the Event and Development Director, every day is different and my day ranges from fundraising – reaching out to potential donors, making personal connections, taking people to lunch, speaking at different events from career fairs to business meetings, and so much more. And then, the other days my day can look like running committee meetings for B.I.G. Love’s upcoming fundraising events, doing all of the behind scenes for the fundraising events, organizing vendors, working on flyers, planning the layout, run-of-shows, and so much more. Another part of my job is running the B.I.G. Love Houston Advisory Board – keeping our members up to date about all things B.I.G. Love and getting them involved.
I would say that within our group, I am most well-known for my bubbly personality, ability to work well with others and under pressure, along with my ability to pay attention to detail and over-preparedness. I am most proud of how much I have learned within the past year of working for B.I.G. Love and my passion for what this organization stands for shows with everything that I do.
Something that sets me apart from others is that when I speak with and connect with our cancer families, I am able to relate to them on a completely different, personal level. I have been in their shoes, and I understand that what B.I.G. Love does, and know that it truly makes an impact in their lives right then and there.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
There are so many! I am very blessed in the fact that I have wonderful parents and 2 younger siblings that are truly my best friends. I would have to say that my favorite childhood memory(ies) is every summer my family would spend a whole week at our family deer camp. With three kids, this seems like a lot, but we would play in the dirt, go fishing in the pond, go “hiking” through the woods, ride the ATV; my mom would take us to a small waterpark that was not too far, and so much more. This was truly a wonderful childhood memory in the fact that it was a time my family would bond, no one was looking at their phones, my dad would bring an old washing machine so my mom could do laundry & hang it on the clothesline. It was truly like living back in time. It was relaxing & some wonderful memories were made as a family.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://biglovecancercare.org/
- Instagram: @biglovecancercare
- Facebook: @biglovecancercare
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/big-love-cancer-care/
Image Credits
Bailee Elaine Photograpghy
