SCHENECTADY, N.Y. -- The annual Melodies of Christmas event kicks off tonight at Proctors Theatre, with net proceeds benefiting the Melodies Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Albany Med. To better understand what The Melodies Center does, CBS6's Lara Bryn toured the facility.
The moment you walk into The Melodies Center at Albany Med, you're hit with a striking bright wall and hallways covered in animated characters. That's an important goal of The Melodies Center. "We get to keep them kids here, and we have a lot of fun with them, and that's one of the most rewarding parts of the job," said Melodies Center pediatric oncologist Dr. Lauren Weintraub.
The Cibelli family has experienced the center's care firsthand. Natalia Cibelli was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis and a tumor near her optic nerve at just four years old. Her family found comfort in the center's proximity. "It was a relief to know that she was going to have to go somewhere every single week, and it was right in our backyard," said a family member.
"You will get the same exact care here that you would at Boston or New York City but with the comfort of being able to be close to home and not having to travel," said The Melodies Center Director Dr. Kate Halligan.
The Melodies Center treats approximately 1,500 children each year, up to the age of 24. Since CBS6 initiated the Melodies of Christmas fundraiser in 1980, the community has raised more than $10.2 million for the center. This funding is crucial, as pediatric cancer does not receive the same federal funding as adult cancer. "Unfortunately, pediatric cancer does not get the federal funding that adult cancer gets," said Dr. Weintraub.
"Partially because even though pediatric cancer is common to us because that's what we see every day, it's not as common as it is in the adult population," said Dr. Halligan.
The children who come to the center for their car, including Natalia, are forever indebted and grateful. So is Natalia's older brother. "I just know that she's a very brave girl, and she's doing a good job going to Melodies, going through all this and going through NF," said Christopher Cibelli, Natalia's brother.
Tickets for the CBS6 Melodies of Christmas are on sale now, with performances scheduled from December 19-22 at Proctors Theatre. Ticket prices range from $36 to $40 and can be purchased here.