Team Summer’s Edison E-Bike Giveaway is in full swing, and we’re already halfway to our $40,000 goal! Can you help get us all the way there? Every donation helps us create meaningful moments of connection and joy for kids facing cancer. And during the month of September, every $50 you donate gives YOU a chance to win an Edison E-bike!
What does your support make possible? Meet 15-year-old James from Maine.
When James was 14, he began having trouble breathing through his nose. At first, doctors thought it might be allergies or a sinus infection. But James continued to get sicker — developing headaches, losing weight, and struggling to make it through a day of school. His mom kept pushing for answers.
Finally, in September 2025, James was seen by a pediatric ENT who reviewed an earlier CT scan and right away told his family he was concerned it was cancer. Two days later, a biopsy confirmed it: James had nasopharyngeal cancer, an extremely rare cancer in children.
Not long after his diagnosis, James began an intensive treatment plan that included chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation. His care started close to home in Maine, but when it was time to begin radiation, James needed a specialized form called proton therapy that wasn’t available there. So James and his family temporarily relocated to Philadelphia, where he could receive it.
For 12 weeks, James endured the grueling protocol of radiation treatments.
But there was one thing that made it all a little easier: the music of country singer Morgan Wallen. Before each session, the radiation technicians would ask James what he wanted to listen to while he was on the table, and his answer never changed. Soon, they knew to have Morgan Wallen queued up and waiting for him when he arrived!
Back home in Maine, James also had someone in his corner who understood what he was going through — someone who understood in a way few others could: Team Summer kid Emma! Emma and James had known each other since they were young kids — and, in an unbelievable coincidence, Emma had been diagnosed with cancer just one week before James.
Here’s James and Emma together, long before cancer became part of either of their lives — James was 9, and Emma (bottom left) was just 10 months old.
What James didn’t know was that Emma had secretly nominated him to become a Team Summer kid, too, and receive a special gift of his own.
Soon, Emma and James were face-to-face on a Zoom call.
That’s when Emma got to deliver a pretty incredible surprise! James opened a Morgan Wallen T-shirt — and then learned he was going to see Morgan Wallen live at his sold-out show in Philadelphia! James was immediately overcome with emotion, and it was clear just how much this meant to him.
For James, returning to Philadelphia made the gift even more meaningful. He was going back to the city where he had spent months undergoing treatment — but this time, it wasn’t for hospital visits or radiation. Philly was going to mean something totally different: Morgan Wallen live and one seriously unforgettable show!
And when the big night finally arrived, it was the ultimate full-circle moment for James!
Thank you, Emma, for giving James an incredible memory that he can carry with him along the road ahead. This is what Team Summer is all about.
And you can keep this going! Every donation helps us reach more kids like Emma and James. Plus, during September, every $50 you donate earns you a chance to win an Edison E-bike! Can you help us reach our goal?
*Team Summer, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All contributions are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.
