Our story

As told by Deb Johns, co-founder and Bo’s mom…

Our son, Bo, at 11 years old, was diagnosed with large B cell lymphoma. He had cancer in his tonsil. He had a routine tonsillectomy. We found out later that the tonsil itself was not so routine looking. It was heavier and larger. He had gone back to school and a couple of days later I was in Europe at a meeting and Ben called me and said, “Bo’s in the hospital, he’s got cancer.” And I was on the next flight back.

Fortunately, living in Georgetown and having the best pediatric care for his cancer in Georgetown, Bo was already luckier than most. We had incredible support from our neighbors and family who immediately asked, “What can we do for Bo?” And we said, “Well, he has everything he needs.” Ben and I could alternate nights there. The family could visit him easily. Friends could come see him. But what we realized very quickly was that a lot of kids in that ward were not so lucky and their families lived further away. They also might not have had the level of insurance that we had. They were simply not nearly as supported.

So we went to this group of families who reached out to us, and we said that we’d love to support this tiny little fund that the social workers at Georgetown had access to—the most they’d ever had in the fund was $1,000. It was really a discretionary fund for families who found themselves dealing with this brand new club that no one wants to belong to. But when you are, you have a choice: You either pull the covers over your head or you meet it head on. And Bo, on the first day in the hospital, asked me, “Mom, do I have cancer?” And I answered, “Yes, you do. Now. You have to decide. Are you going to get it… or is it going to get you?” And he goes, “Mom, I’m going to get it!” And we said, okay, let’s keep this positive full-steam-ahead attitude.

Long story short, we sent out a letter to 1,200 people talking about Bo’s cancer and treatment. And we asked for donations to honor Bo while he was fighting his fight in the hospital. And money started pouring in. And every time I would come in on a morning that I hadn’t been there the night before because Ben had been there, Bo would ask, “Mom, did more money come in for the kids?” It actually motivated Bo. And I’d say, “Bo, every day you’re in here, we’re getting more money for kids who need that support.”

So we’ve put about three quarters of a million dollars through the fund over the last 15 years. We are not trying to raise millions of dollars every season. We’re trying to raise $50,000 to $75,000 because we feel like that’s a number that the social workers at Georgetown in pediatric oncology can manage. If it was millions, it would be a whole different deal. We also want to be around indefinitely. We don’t believe in hitting and running.

The other exciting part for us is the GoBo theme party we do every year. It’s a real celebration of life and fun. And now there’s a second generation participating. All of our kids are of age. They’ve all rallied their friends. Many of our team at SCOUT come and support it and help out with it too. So it’s become a community, multigenerational family event. And we always have a fun theme. We decorate. We come dressed in costume. And the food reflects the theme.

We have no plans of stopping. I actually had somebody at the fifth year mark ask, “So, aren’t you done?” And I said, “Is cancer done?”