BRANDON, Fla. — Children, families, community leaders and school board members came together Wednesday afternoon for the grand opening of the V1 Academy.
The newly opened academy is the first school in the country for children with cancer, school leaders explained in a news release.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony officially debuted the Brandon school, which is located at 1935 Camp Florida Road.
Wednesday marked the 25th anniversary of the death of a 9-year-old boy named Jay who wanted to go back to school when he had Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma but couldn't.
The real kicker? The founder of the 1Voice Foundation Mary Ann Massolio is also Jay's mother.
The non-profit Massolio created is dedicated to "providing emotional, financial and research resources for children with cancer in the Tampa Bay area."
Twenty-five programs are offered by the foundation, from things like tutoring to sibling support groups.
"The dream has always been to do more, to provide these children — and their parents — with a little bit of normalcy during the most difficult time of their lives," non-profit leaders said in a statement.
The Hillsborough County School District is set to hang plaques up at the school commemorating the first enrolled students:
- 5-year-old Laurel Harrington, whose acute lymphoblastic leukemia is in remission.
- 6-year-old Liam Kirchner, whose acute lymphoblastic leukemia is in "maintenance."
The non-profit says this academy opening is just the first step.
"Hopefully, 1Voice Academy will become the model for communities around the country to create a safe place for children with suppressed immune systems who can’t attend regular school," non-profit leaders explain in a statement.