TAMPA, Fla. — While many of us are slowing down at the age of 80, there is a doctor in Tampa who is just getting started. Every day, he clocks in and out, always with the same goal: to stop pediatric cancer.
Dr. Cameron Tebbi has been researching pediatric cancer his entire career, that’s more than 50 years, but what’s unique is how he’s teaming up with the local non-profit, 1Voice Foundation, because they have the same goals.
Dr. Tebbi says pediatric cancer has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember.
“When I was a child, I had a friend that got leukemia and unfortunately did not make it, so I got to be very interested in what you can do to treat it, so I got involved with pediatric cancer after I graduated,” said Dr. Tebbi.
Dr. Tebbi gained international recognition for his pediatric cancer research, eventually leading him to a local non-profit that touched his heart, the 1Voice Foundation. Their mission is to support children with cancer and their families through a variety of programs.
“I feel really bad for children and their families because pediatric cancer is not a disease of the child it’s a disease of the family,” said Dr. Tebbi.
So, Dr. Tebbi and the 1Voice Foundation teamed up to open their own lab with one mission in mind: to find a vaccine that would prevent pediatric leukemia.
“It’s very important because, unfortunately, pediatric cancer research does not get a lot of money from the government. we depend on other institutions to help us do cancer research,” said Dr. Tebbi.
Dr. Tebbi says it’s the only research lab in the world solely dedicated to this kind of research.
“This is really unique for 1Voice Foundation; it is something that is not done every day, everywhere,” said Dr. Tebbi.
Dr. Tebbi, now 81 years old, continues to clock in every day from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and it’s all volunteer; every donation they receive goes right back into the lab.
“I don’t think that retirement is a word; you have to work toward what your goals are; retirement has no meaning,” said Dr. Tebbi.
"He was just a very outstanding person."
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