Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School.
Usually a visit or tour of the White House must be requested through a member of Congress — a U.S. representative or senator.
Not so for Shaler Area sophomore Jimmy Spagnolo. He received a personal invitation to the Oval Office.
First, it is important to discuss his journey that led to the opportunity.
Spagnolo was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was 4. Pediatric cancer is the hardest type of cancer to treat; once a child uses a treatment medication once, they are not supposed to use the same type again.
Since cancer in children does not have the same causes as cancer in adults and children have developing immune systems, repeating medications often can have no effect or extremely negative effects, as they can weaken the development of young peoples’ immune systems. However, because of limited research funding, the small number of drugs available and low attention from the public, many children are forced to repeat medications.
“The problem with pediatric cancer is that we are very limited on how many drugs actually treat tumors, especially brain tumors. Once you use a med, you are not supposed to be able to use it again. So if you have five meds in your closet that you can use and you get seven reoccurrences, the numbers don’t add up,” said Spagnolo’s mother, Lacie.
Spagnolo had been fighting his cancer for years, and he still participates in brain scans every six months to make sure everything is under control. His mother added his tumor is still there — just stable and dormant for the past year and a half.
When Spagnolo was about 6 and a half, he rang the infamous bell signifying the end of his fourth round of chemotherapy. The joy and inspiration from those who watched this special moment turned that clip into a viral video.
As a result of further contact with the Children’s Hospital Foundation during additional treatments and periodical checkups, Spagnolo’s family became well acquainted with Stephanie McMahon, a former professional wrestler and a strong advocate for children’s cancer research. She also is the founder of Connor’s Cure, a pediatric cancer foundation that thrived in association with WWE.
On Sept. 30, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to provide an additional $50 million in research grants aimed at finding cures for childhood cancers. The Tuesday before the signing, McMahon called Lacie Spagnolo and asked whether her son would like to go to the White House to watch the order being signed.
“I was happy to be presented with this opportunity, definitely,” Jimmy Spagnolo said. “I was thinking, ‘I am going to meet the president of the United States. Let’s do this. Let’s get in the car and go.’ This is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
So the family headed to Washington, D.C.
To get into the White House, the Spagnolos had to go through tight security from the Secret Service.
Once they were in the building, it became a bit more relaxed. They first went to the Roosevelt Room before the actual signing of the order. Eventually, Spagnolo and the other kids, invited from all over the country, were sent to the Oval Office, which Spagnolo noted was surprisingly small and crammed.
After the bill was signed, Spagnolo walked up to Trump and asked him if he could get a pen to bring back to his sister who was in the Roosevelt Room. The other children benefited from the question because Trump brought all of the families into the Oval Office afterward for about 15 minutes, giving each of them coins bearing an image of the White House.
“It was pretty amazing to see when you walked into the Oval Office; you could sense the history there and that the weight of the world is on the shoulders of anybody that sits in that chair. And I know what it’s like to have the weight of the world on my shoulders with my son, but to walk in and have the weight of the world on your shoulders at all times, you have to have respect for that place and that office,” Lacie Spagnolo said.
After they left the Oval Office, the group got to tour more of the White House, including rooms usually blocked off to the public. Spagnolo and his family were able to see some of the most historic rooms in the world and meet some of the most influential people in the country, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Spagnolo’s favorite room in the tour was the kitchen. The kids were able to meet one of the chefs and learn about their daily lives.
To Spagnolo and his family, the experience provides hope for pediatric cancer research and funding in the future. If more orders or bills like this are passed in the future, then thousands of kids will be able to benefit and lead more prosperous lives. For Spagnolo, this is what the order was truly about. It was never just about going to the White House, but it was about helping the numerous kids across the country who are battling cancer.
“Jimmy’s this voice of innocence. He doesn’t handle himself like he has something wrong. Jimmy’s always been like, ‘I’m just me, and I have to deal with this.’ It’s never defined him,” Lacie Spagnolo said. “He just says, ‘This is what I was meant to do, Mom. I’m just going to help everybody I can.’ He always talks about how he’s going to help the kids. He never says, ‘I’m going to help myself.’ ”