October 25, 2002

A son's dedication turns a negative into a positive

Andrew Leavitt isn't your typical 13-year-old boy. With the same
responsibilities as most teenagers —school, homework and extracurricular activities —he also is a dedicated fundraiser who has raised more than $8,000 for breast cancer research.

In 2000, when Andrew was only 11 years old, his mother Ellen was diagnosed for a second time with breast cancer —her first diagnosis was in 1994. She came to the MGH under the care of Michael Seiden, MD, and Bruce Chabner, MD. Soon after the diagnosis, when a close friend of Leavitt's decided to participate in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in honor of the boy's mother, Andrew decided that he wanted to help the cause too. So he organized a fundraising dance for his classmates. He handled everything from booking the hall to ordering food, to getting a DJ and arranging for special lighting. The event raised more than $1,500, which he donated to the Avon walk. Because of the success of the first dance, Andrew decided to organize a second dance the following year. This dance proved to be even more successful —raising more than $2,000. Andrew donated this money to the MGH Cancer Center to aid in breast cancer research.

"He just amazes me," says Leavitt of her son. "I am so honored to have a son who would even think to do something like this. It was a great way for him to cope with what was happening to me."
Andrew recently held his third fundraising dance. This year, he gained support from his community with local merchants providing in-store advertisements and donation boxes. The proceeds from the dance also will go toward funding breast cancer research.
"I just wanted to turn something negative into something positive," says Andrew. "I was just glad to be able to give back to such a good cause."