BRANDON, Fla. — Just like your traditional neighborhood schools, 1 Voice Academy in Brandon is preparing for the start of the school year. But there's one big difference: their students are all battling cancer.
The school is so appreciative of the community’s help when it comes to donating school supplies.
“1 Voice Academy is the first and only school in the United States for children with cancer,” said founder Mary Ann Massolio. “And we serve hospital home-bound children who are currently on treatment who otherwise would stay home.”
Massolio founded 1 Voice Academy in 2021 because she saw a need in the community for families living with childhood cancer, and she wanted to be a voice for that need.
“You don’t think kids want to go to school? Tell them they can’t because I can assure you they race in here. I have one little boy who sleeps in his clothes because he can’t get here fast enough in the morning,” said Massolio.
Nine-year-old Dylan Bartini started attending 1 Voice Academy last year when she was diagnosed with leukemia. She immediately felt like she belonged.
“When I first got to 1 Voice, I recognized that almost everybody that was here went through everything I did too, so they wouldn’t make fun of me because of my hair because almost everybody would be going through the same thing as me,” said Bartini.
Massolio said the financial burden for these families is also incredible, which is why the nonprofit provides all the school supplies for free.
“Anybody who goes back to school shopping knows how expensive it is,” said Massolio. “Our families go through a lot. They have an 80% divorce rate, we have financial ruin, we have siblings, we have so many things, so anything we can do to make this easier.”
1 Voice said they couldn’t do it alone. They rely on the generosity of the community, thanks to a Back to School Supply Drive sponsored by Purple Mattress, which is running through Aug. 11.
“They are going to have big buckets at their Tampa location and in Sarasota and in Orlando. So we have three in the market that’ll be collecting index cards, markers, pencils, workbooks, all the school supplies, backpacks, that our children will be using,” said Massolio.
“I was very thankful for that,” said Bartini on behalf of her family. She said last year her parents were too busy to do the shopping on their own.
As for this year, Bartini is now in remission and preparing to start the upcoming year back in public school. 1 Voice will always have a special place in her heart.
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