Here at JoyRx, the mission delivery of Children’s Cancer Association, we’re reflecting on our 2022 year — a year of exponential growth and inspiring expansion across the country.

Thirteen-year-old Evan Goldstein is a young author with a heart of gold and a mission to bring more Joy to kids in need. Evan celebrated his bar mitzvah at the end of October and is supporting JoyRx, the mission delivery of Children’s Cancer Association, as part of his service project.

On Friday, December 16, JoyRx celebrated the holidays with the Oregon Symphony Musicians for a special holiday music event. Comprised of six strings and percussionist volunteers from the Oregon Symphony, the livestream concert delivered festive holiday cheer to families across the country.

At Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas, kids received a Joyful treat in the form of live, bedside JoyRx music. Grammy-nominated artist SaulPaul performed an hour-long outdoor music set for the children, families, and healthcare workers in attendance — and then brought the music indoors to kids who were unable to venture outside.  

The past year brought many enhancements to JoyRx Nature’s Alexandra Ellis Caring Cabin to ensure as many families as possible can experience the serene ambiance nature can provide during a trying time. We’re thrilled to highlight these changes — and how they impact families in need of emotional healing.  

The impact our community makes in the lives of the JoyRx children and families served is significant. That’s why we’re so excited to share this year’s Community Investment Report.  

When Suzanne Khoshnaw felt the lump in her four-year-old son’s neck, she knew something was very wrong.  

Check out the JoyRx success story written by giving platform partner, Classy, on the accomplishment of their 2022 Every Minute Counts (EMC) virtual challenge in April. The feature addresses a challenge most nonprofits face: how to increase partner engagement on a digital platform.

At its core, music is medicine — and no one knows that better than our JoyRx Music Specialists. They witness a positive impact on the sick children they serve every day — drawing on the universal power of music to lift and energize spirits.

When six-year-old Oliver first started having health problems, his parents, Tyson and Vanessa, believed it was asthma. When Oliver started snoring in his sleep or wheezing wearing a mask, his parents thought it was just sleep apnea or because of their son’s growing anxiety.

Helping children feel Joy in challenging moments has been Allison Moore’s focus even before becoming JoyRx’s Director of Programs, South. Before joining JoyRx, Allison was a child life specialist at Dell Children’s Comprehensive Care (CCC), where she helped children understand the process of their treatment at the clinic.

JoyRx Headquarters, located in Portland, Oregon, celebrated Halloween in style with Pumpkin Palooza on October 19. Our staff welcomed children, families, and JoyRx mentors to enjoy our first in-person get-together in almost three years!  

On October 29, JoyRx took to the skies with our annual fundraiser gala, Wonderball, at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. For the first time in three years, we were back in-person with a night filled with amazing entertainment, inspiring speakers, exciting packages, and — of course — Joy.  

Ardavan Tabrizian, president, of Delta Sigma Phi, University of Oregon Chapter, shares inspiration of Joy from their 2022 5K Fundraiser, garnering over $20,000 to support JoyRx, the mission delivery of Children’s Cancer Association.

It was a Joyful day on Monday, October 3 as JoyRx Music Specialist Christy Medley arrived at Dell Children’s Comprehensive Care in Austin, Texas, to launch live, in-person music services.

On Thursday, September 22, JoyRx expanded its digital-live concert offering for sick children as part of the JoyRx Music program, broadcasting music medicine to four partnered hospitals around the nation.

On Wednesday, September 21, JoyRx hosted its first Get Inspired Breakfast in Austin, Texas, with guest speakers, musical performances, and – most importantly – Joy!

On Sunday, September 25, the six Catholic schools in the Portland metro area came together to participate in the ninth annual Walk for Joy event. In a show of solidarity and compassion, high school students worked to raise funds for JoyRx and raise awareness of pediatric cancer during the month of September.

It was a Joyous moment when Janet Crouch arrived at the Audi Beaverton dealership. As the winner of this year’s JoyRx Summer Giveaway, Janet and her family were the proud owners of the luxury 2022 Audi A3 Sedan.

Hospital visits and overnight stays for seriously ill children and teens at three new locations are about to get a little more Joyful! We’re excited to announce new additions to our JoyRx Music national hospital partners: University Medical Center of Southern Nevada (UMCSN), East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, and Medical City Children’s Hospital. These three new additions bring our national hospital partners to a total of 31.