As we reach the conclusion of the week dedicated to honoring the 5 year anniversary of the passing of Sam Robb, we wanted to share with you an interview held with Annamarie Robb, Sam’s mother. In this video Annamarie discusses how CURE Childhood Cancer supported the Robb family, how the Robb family continues to support CURE, and why it is important for CURE to continue to fund childhood cancer research.
For more information on The Sam Robb Fund please click here.
In honor of the 5 year anniversary of Sam Robb‘s passing, his three sisters have written reflections of their brother. We hope that you enjoy the beautiful words that these young women have provided.
Sam was more than a big brother to me. He was my best friend, and I could always count on him to understand me, in any type of situation. It may seem silly, but my memories of Sam always portray him in an iconic superhero-like manner. To clear up misunderstanding, I don’t think of him wearing a costume or a cape. Rather, I think of him as being the type of person I would hope to be: strong, courageous, universally amicable, and supportive. He was the type of guy everyone wants as a best friend; and, honestly, Sam had a way of making everyone feel like they actually were his best friends. Sam truly epitomized the characteristic of being able brighten up a room merely with one’s presence. His smile, his laughter, and his ever present comical relief made my brother the perfect companion for any occasion. Growing up with Sam taught me many things, but first and foremost, Sam taught me to live my life. Good times and bad times will come my way, but all I can do is live my life to the best of my ability. Through his life, and his death, Sam made me a better person; and, I will forever be grateful for that.
- Caroline, 21 years old
June 25th 2012, marks the day 5 years ago that my brother Sam was called to heaven. It is truly amazing that Sam was able to accomplish everything that was placed upon him by God in the mere 20 years and 7 months he was with us on Earth. Sam was a friend, hero, patient, son, but Caroline, Katherine, and I could not be more proud to call him our brother. He changed all of our lives for the better and truly made us the people that we are today.
One of the greatest memories that I will always keep close to my heart was when Sam and I went on a visit to Clemson together. After I had signed with Clemson on a rowing scholarship and his best friend from Young Harris, Matt Sanders, signed to play for Clemson on a baseball scholarship Sam was not going to let anything get in his way from joining Matt and I at Clemson in the Fall of 2007. Sam and I had begged my mom to allow me to play hooky from school for the day so that we could go to Clemson together; his reasoning was to go and speak with the admissions department to figure out some way he would be able to be granted acceptance and mine was solely to be there as his wing-man. I couldn’t have dreamed of anything better than to go off to college to pursue what I loved most, rowing, with my older brother right there by my side.
After hours of persuasion on our side the admissions department granted Sam acceptance to Clemson University in the Fall of 2007 under one condition, he discard the original plan to study Kinesiology and become a Sociology major. From that day on we would not stop talking about how great our time we planned to spend at Clemson together would be. He talked of coming out to the rowing regattas and becoming one of the first tailgaters and die hard fans for the rowing team, seeing as though we did not bring as large of a crowd to the lake as the football, basketball, or baseball teams brought to their selective playing fields. Sadly, as you all are aware of Sam did not live to see the first day of school that upcoming fall nor did he accompany me to the football, baseball, and rowing events. Although he was not there physically I knew he was there with me every step of the way, which is why still to this day everything I do I try to honor him and what he believed in most “Fightin Till The Last Breath” and to never give up especially because you never know who is watching. On June 25, 2007 we not only lost a brother, son, friend, teammate but we also lost a true hero. He inspired everyone big or small strong or weak to never give up whether they were battling for their life in their hospital bed or out on the playing field.
I am proud to call Sam my brother and my hero. He may be gone but his legacy and impact on this world still stand true and will never be forgotten. From my family to yours, we would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the outpouring of support over the past 5 years. We have come so far in the fight against Childhood Cancer and we refuse to stop until a cure to all childhood cancers is found.
As this day is filled with sadness by many it is also a day to reflect on the great strides we have made with the Sam Robb Fund to one day finding a cure to childhood cancer.
- Liz, 22 years old
To this day, the greatest compliment I can ever be given is that I look, act, talk, walk, laugh, do anything like my brother. It brings me a sense of satisfaction like nothing else because for as long as I can remember I idolized him. If he was Dr. Evil, I was honorably his Mini Me and I loved it. When he walked into a room, something changed. He would effortlessly bring an essence of humor and happiness. Sometimes when he would just wake up or get home, I would watch cartoons with him or watch him eat cereal. We wouldn’t talk a lot or say much, but it was always so much fun for me. And when he would need something and ask me to get it saying, “I’ll time you!” I would sprint off and come back begging for my time. 
It’s hard to explain, especially since I was pretty young then, but something about him brought ease to me. My favorite thing to do when he was gone was to sleep in his bed, because I just felt so safe the nightmares that often haunted me were lost. Maybe it all started in the back of the big red suburban (Big Red) when all 6 of us would drive 12 hours to the beach. Being the smallest, I was always put in the way back with Sam. He would take up the whole back seat and I would be stuck under his feet, thus the beginning of a great bond.
At the beach, I remember him playing in the sand, taking me to the amusement park and going on the boring, childish rides, and tossing me in the bay. As I got older, we started to become better friends. I would go to his football and basketball games, and I felt famous. I would walk around and when someone would ask me who I was, I would proudly say “I’m Sam’s sister!” Then they often would reply “there’s another one?” in shock, and I would nod my head and smile proudly.
At home, I can’t even remember how much time we spent together in the basement. We would watch ET daily and eat huge bowls of ice cream with pretzels. I even remember one time I was studying for a spelling test, and I just couldn’t get it. I was lying upside down on the couch trying to get how to spell brown. I just could not wrap it around my head, and Sam stayed there and kept correcting me until I finally got it, b-r-o-w-n. We would watch movies that I’m just now starting to get, but those were some of the most fun things of my childhood.
I will never forget setting up his new bed, playing Legos, wrestling with Rocky, putting in the new basement door together, that whip cream fight we had, the songs you would blare in the car while picking me up from school totally disregarding the carpool line, or that Christmas you went all out and gave me about 7 gifts total, which I still use, as well as the countless viewings of Christmas Vacation and the one time we watched A Christmas Story about 12 times in a row. My big brother was the greatest person I ever knew.
I still envy his humor and goofiness. No one else could walk in to a new place and be the life of the party like he could. He was nice to everyone and somehow even in the worst of times made everyone laugh. I thank him for my love of sports, 97.1 the river music, comedy movies, chocolate milk, the memories that still make me smile, and my sense of humor. He was my best friend in the whole world as well as the best big brother anyone could ask to have. I am still honored to be your baby sister.
- Katherine, 16 years old
For more information on The Sam Robb Fund please click here.
The following letter was written by Annamarie, Sam Robb’s mom. Click here to learn more about The Sam Robb Fund.
Dear Friends,
As June 25th approaches, we relive the days leading up to surgery five years ago. These memories warm our hearts:
- Appointment with the thoracic surgeon at Emory
- His longtime friend from Philly arrives on a very late flight and the weekend plans are being made. Before the weekend starts, Sam made time to meet with Monsignor Paul Reynolds.
- On Friday, Sam and his entourage of friends proceed to UGA and Athens.
- On Saturday, they return to attend an afternoon Braves game, followed by staying up late watching movies.
- On Sunday, Sam’s lack of sleep started to show, but he then went fishing, followed by a birthday party for a friend.
- On Monday morning it was hard to get up (as usual). We rushed to get to Emory for the 6:30 a.m. check-in time.
Sam will be forever young and strong in our hearts. God spared Sam from the suffering of a hopeless battle against his cancer. Our family is forever grateful to the friends who have helped us redefine life without Sam. Thank you for helping us to share Sam’s story while we try to help other families fight childhood cancer.
- Annamarie
CURE sat down with Dr. Woods, the Director at the Aflac Cancer Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. In this third video, we asked Dr. Woods why it is important for local organizations to support childhood cancer research.
Stayed tuned in the following weeks for additional videos.
Morning View’s Swimming for CURE last Thursday was a sea of orange! The event was held in honor of three children who have been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Elena Tate, Abby Boone, and Cole Carter. All proceeds for the event were given to CURE Childhood Cancer to support us in our vision of curing childhood cancer in our lifetime.
Prior to the match, many kids paid $1 to get their nails painted orange while t-shirts, bracelets, orange treats, and orange Planet Smoothie drinks were available for purchase. Overall the swim meet raised $1,200 for CURE.
Abby had a great time and told us, “Thursday was COOL! Everything was orange…the shirts were my favorite, but I also liked all the orange baked treats, cotton candy, necklaces, and fun orange donation buckets. Best of all…Elena was there with me and everyone supported us!”
In addition to Thursday evening’s event, a blood drive was held at the Red Cross Blood Drive on Friday at the Red Cross Blood Drive that collected 75 units of blood.
Thank you to all of the people that participated in the event. You helped us raise money to help find a cure and collect blood that will literally save the lives of many!
Caring for the Caregiver is aimed at addressing the incredible emotional strain felt by the dedicated front-line caregivers of children with cancer. On a monthly basis we recognize and honor the strength and endurance among the front-line caregivers. These strong minded and loving individuals deserve recognition for their dedicated service to the children who are suffering from this terrible disease.
Throughout the year we work on recognizing these special people through spontaneous “pick me ups” and by providing support breakfasts and lunches. Additionally, we provide continuing education opportunities by supplying funding for classes, chemotherapy certifications, national cancer certifications, and conference support for nurses and family support team members to ensure that children with cancer receive the best possible care.
Recently the CURE staff, in conjunction with 11 Alive’s Random Act of Kindness series, put together baskets of homemade goodies and delivered them to both the inpatient and outpatient staff at Scottish Rite and Egelston of the Alfac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center.
We are always looking for additional ways to honor these caregivers and ask that if you have ideas, or are looking for additional information, please contact Leigh Smith at leigh@curechildhoodcancer.org.
After 29 years, the celebration continues! The Atlanta Alumnae Chapter of Delta Delta Delta hosted an “Evening Under the Stars” on Saturday, April 21st at the Atlanta Athletic Club as part of their annual Care Affair tradition benefitting CURE Childhood Cancer and the Tri-Delta Foundation. 
This year, over 180 guests participated in the silent and live auctions along with the fabulous dinner and dancing. Auction highlights included exotic trips, a flight simulator experience, unique jewelry and even a puppy! But, the most heart-warming items were the hand-painted birdhouses by the children of CURE families undergoing treatment. Emceed by Russ Spencer of Fox 5 and Karen McCrae, the evening raised $73,800 for CURE.
“We are extremely grateful for the Tri Delta’s very generous donation as a result of Care Affair. It’s truly amazing that the Tri Deltas have dedicated themselves to raising funds for CURE through Care Affair for 29 years,” said Kristin Connor, Executive Director of CURE Childhood Cancer. They have shown an extraordinary dedication and commitment to CURE over nearly three decades, and as they have done so, we have all seen the survival rates for children with cancer climb. There is no better measure of the significance of continued support than climbing survival rates. On behalf of everyone at CURE and the children we serve, thank you Tri Deltas!”
This week marks the fifth year anniversary of when Sam Robb was re-diagnosed with cancer. In his honor, the Sam Robb fund has been created.
The goal of the Sam Robb Fund is two-fold. Helping to train young pediatric oncologist as well as supporting families in the thick of the battle with childhood cancer. First, the Robb family believes it is critically important to help train young doctors who may make significant contributions to finding cures for childhood cancers, and they know Sam would be proud to support their education. These doctors care for children with cancer with unmatched skill and dedication, and the importance of providing them with the very best training and preparation for this vital and difficult work cannot be overstated.
Below please find a letter from Sam’s mother, Annamarie Robb as she reflects on her son’s life and the importance of finding a cure for childhood cancer.
Dear Friends,
Anniversaries challenge us to reflect, remember and appreciate.
This week five years ago, our lives started to seriously change. A chest X-Ray revealed that Sam’s cancer returned with a vengeance. We spent this week evaluating our options, consulting the best surgeons in Atlanta and Philadelphia. Sam understood the gravity of the situation and knew the importance of a timely surgery. Sam did not want sympathy or pity. He focused upon being with friends and family while we weighed the options. Five years ago our Father’s Day dinner had a different perspective.
Sam taught us how to take one day at a time, confront the challenges and celebrate the good times with friends. Sam understood the importance of being a good friend and having true friends. His legacy of being a great friend inspires people to help our family memorialize Sam’s love of life.
To understand CURE Childhood Cancer‘s role in supporting pediatric cancer research, please watch the video below of Dr. William Woods, the Director of the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorder Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Dr. Woods was one of Sam’s doctors while we were inpatient for treatment years ago.
Thank you for your support of The Sam Robb Fund. Because of your help, we have funded the research and training of Dr. Tanya Watt and Dr. Nicole Schlesinger to help find a cure for childhood cancer.
- Annamarie Robb
Late last year, CURE Childhood Cancer sat down with Dr. William Woods, Director of the Aflac Cancer Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. We are pleased to present the second installment in a series of videos of our conversation with Dr. Woods, in which he discusses how CURE funding has helped him over the years.
Stayed tuned in the following weeks for additional videos.
On Saturday, June 16, Venetian will host its 2nd annual swim-a-thon to benefit CURE Childhood Cancer in honor of Katherine Athanassiades.
Katherine Athanassiades, an almost 15 year-old, has been a member of Venetian for over 10 years. Diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor in September, 2010, Katherine has endured neurosurgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. She is a rising 9th grader at Paideia and lives with her family in Virginia Highland.
Raising money for CURE is Katherine’s idea. She became aware of the important work CURE does during her treatment and wanted to find a way to give back. Since she loves to swim laps, Katherine thought a swim-a-thon would be a great way for the Venetian pool community to work together to raise money for CURE.
Venetian for CURE
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Anytime between 9 a.m. – Noon
Venetian Pools
Decatur, Georgia
Start gathering your pledges as we raise important money for CURE. Come join us nd swim laps to raise donations in Katherine’s honor and help work towards elminating childhood cancers. Last year the swim-a-thon included over 40 Venetian members participating, raising over $9,300 for CURE in Katherine’s honor. This year they hope to raise $12,000!
To sign up click here and hit the green “Register” button at the top of the page. Don’t forget to create your findraising page so friends and family can support your efforts. Pledge forms and sign up will also be available at the swimming pool check-in desk.
If you are unable to participate but would like to make a donation, please click on any of the supporters’ names or click to donate now.
If you have any questions, contact Rick Woodcock at rjwatlrad@gmail.com.
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