By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
The Yancy School of Nursing at Kentucky Christian University will be hosting Ozzyfest on Friday, May 1, from 6 to 9 pm. The free event will include live music, carnival-style games, karaoke, inflatables, crafts, and other activities. There will also be food trucks at the outdoor event, and in case of inclement weather the event will be moved indoors at Lusby Hall.
Dr. Carol Brickey of the Yancy School of Nursing said the event is designed to benefit children who have been diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a rare type of brain tumor that starts in the brain stem. Because of the tumor location, it is inoperable and currently there is no treatment for the fast-growing cancer.
“We started Ozzyfest three years ago,” Brickey said. “We wanted to bring awareness to this terminal pediatric brain cancer. Basically, it is a brain tumor that is on the brain stem. When children are diagnosed, they are usually given a prognosis of between six to nine months to live,” Brickey said. “There really isn’t any treatment for it, so it is a devastating diagnosis.”
Brickey and the Yancy School of Nursing became directly involved with the devastation of DIPG when her executive assistant’s grandson, Ozzy Brown, was diagnosed with the cancer about four years ago, Brickey said.
“After he passed away, the students wanted to do something for the family,” she said. “So, they started Ozzyfest, which is a celebration of Ozzy’s life and a fundraiser.”
Ozzyfest raises money for the Santiago Strong Foundation, an organization that helped Ozzy’s family travel to his treatments.
“Ozzyfest was originally planned to be a one-time event,” Brickey said. “Because we didn’t think we would ever be connected to another family that was dealing with DIPG. But right after Ozzy passed away, we were connected with Amiyla Nelson, a student at Prichard Elementary in Grayson. So, we reached out to that family and asked if we could do anything for them.”
Brickey said that they started supporting them by bringing them meals and anything else they could do to help. She said the students at the nursing school also began sending cards to the family, and eventually they were connected with another child with the rare condition, Casen Gullett from Manchester, Ohio.
“So, we decided to do Ozzyfest again to benefit those families,” she said. “Amiyla passed away before the event, but her family was able to attend.”
Casen was able to attend that second Ozzyfest, Brickey said, but has since passed away. Brickey said she was happy to learn that Casen’s family will be coming to this year’s Ozzyfest.
“It has sort of continued,” she said of the event and its assistance to families. “Since we started Ozzyfest we have connected with eighteen children, and all of them are in this area except for two that are in Oregon.”
Brickey also said there seems to be a concentration of the rare disease in the Corbin, Kentucky, area with seven children diagnosed with DIPG in the last three years.
Brickey said that Ozzyfest has grown beyond what it was originally intended to be, but that they are happy to help everyone they are able.
“So, we have a free event on KCU’s campus,” she said of the event. “It’s a time to show love to these families and let these kids come and play and have a good time while we are raising funds and awareness for research and so organizations such as Santiago Strong can keep assisting these families.”
Ozzyfest has grown to become a way to raise funds to help the families devastated by a DIPG diagnosis and to connect these families to a network of support in their grief.
“Our students from all over campus will be helping with the games,” Brickey said. “In fact, it is 100 percent planned by the nursing students, with faculty guidance.”
Brickey said that anyone wishing to offer their support can go to the Kentucky Christian University website http://www.kcu.edu\give and contribute a tax-deductible gift by accessing the drop down menu and selecting Ozzyfest. Those wishing to donate can also mail a check to Ozzyfest, payable to KCU, with Ozzyfest listed in the memo line.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
