At 16, Jordynn Osorio stood before a room of researchers, families and supporters at The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute and recalled the frightened 10-year-old she had been when she was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a cancerous brain tumor.
Now, she said, there is no evidence of the disease. She returned on Sept. 24 to the place she associates with the care and research that helped structure her recovery.
“It really means a lot to me, because I struggled so much when I had cancer and was going through my treatment,” Osorio said. Sharing her story is a way to give others confidence, she said.
Her testimony gave personal meaning to the day’s announcement: Hyundai Hope on Wheels presented two grants totaling $500,000 to support childhood cancer research at UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center and health system of The University of Texas at San Antonio.
The funding includes a $400,000 Hope Scholar Grant to pediatric oncologist Shafqat Shah, MD, and Manjeet K. Rao, PhD, professor and deputy director of the Greehey Institute, for their research on medulloblastoma. A separate $100,000 Impact Grant was awarded to pediatric oncologist Gail Tomlinson, MD, PhD, for research on childhood cancer survivorship.
The grants were presented during a Hyundai Hope on Wheels Handprint Ceremony, where children affected by cancer placed painted handprints on a Hyundai vehicle, symbolizing their individual journeys and a shared hope for a cure.
The ceremony was also a chance for the families to express their gratitude to the people who helped them through surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Speaking to attendees, Osorio described the uncertainty she faced during treatment and the support she found in her faith, family and care team.
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