6th Annual Polar Plunge in Memory of Bennett Barclay
Help us raise money for The PLGA Fund at PBTF. #bennettstrong
On the afternoon of March 7th, our Agent, Beth Benker, along with her sister and brother-in-law, will host the 6th annual Polar Plunge in memory of her beloved nephew, Bennett Barclay. The purpose of The Plunge is to raise funds to benefit The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PLGA). In conjunction with the PLGA Fund, we are dedicated to raising the vital resources needed to cure pediatric brain tumors. For over 25 years, there have been no significant advances in this field. Government and pharmaceutical communities have largely overlooked this disease, even though it impacts more than 28,000 children in the US.
Let’s change that together.
Bennett’s parents, Rachel and Phil, share his story to highlight the reality of this fight. On August 6, 2018, at just 14 months old, our son was diagnosed with an Optic Glioma. Because of its location, the tumor was largely inoperable. Over the next nine months, we watched Bennett’s world shrink.
He suffered strokes that left him paralyzed on one side. He endured tremendous nerve pain, lost his vision, and required a feeding tube to eat. He underwent constant surgeries to place and repair shunts (hollow tubes surgically placed in the brain to drain excess fluid). Even as a baby, his life was a cycle of being confined and wheeled into loud, clanging MRI machines, Operating Rooms and ICU’s.
We tried everything: traditional chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and finally, a desperate petition for a clinical trial. But the "compassionate care" approval came too late. In his final weeks, a shunt failure and a brain bleed took away our last remaining options.
Bennett passed away on April 16, 2019—just nine months after his diagnosis.
The doctors were dedicated, but they lacked the tools to save him. We are funding research to give caretakers those tools. A cure is possible, but it requires funding specifically earmarked for these children.
Help us fund the fight. Give families facing this terrible disease the hope they need to not only survive, but to thrive.
The Plunge will take place at 2:00 pm on Saturday, March 7th, at Singing Beach in Manchester by the Sea. All are welcome to join us in the water or to simply cheer us on.