Shushan Hovsepyan: Every great idea starts with a conversation
Shushan Hovsepyan, Editor-in-Chief at OncoDaily Medical Journal, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“This post is going to be long, so grab your coffee and read this story…
Every great idea starts with a conversation…
And every time I speak with Gevorg Tamamyan, it begins the same way:
‘I have this idea… we should do this!’
At first, I always think: ‘Wow, this sounds incredible. But is it even possible?’
After years of working with him, I’ve learned, that even if the idea is the craziest, eventually, it happens.
That’s exactly how OncoThon was born.
At first, it was one of those ‘imagine if we could…’ moments.
But now, for the second year in a row, on February 15th, we made the Global OncoThon a reality.
- 130+ speakers
- 50 countries
- Thousands and hundreds of people watching livestream.
Not long ago, I never imagined that on the same day, we would unite royalty, global icons, and world leaders – HRH Princess Dina Mired, Lionel Messi, Richard Gere and Alejandra, Kirsty Duncan – alongside top pediatric oncologists, influential advocates, and changemakers from around the world.
For 24 hours, the world spoke with one voice.
We didn’t just talk about childhood cancer. We made sure the world listened.
Because here’s the reality:
Childhood cancer is not rare. Nearly half a million children are diagnosed every year.
Treatment options for children lag decades behind those for adults. While 200+ drugs exist for adult cancers, fewer than 30 have been developed for children.
Where a child is born should not determine their survival. Yet in some countries, the survival rate is over 80%, while in others, it’s less than 20%.
- This is why we created OncoThon.
- This is why we fight.
- This is why we will not stop.
As I reflect on what we’ve achieved, I finally understand why February 15th is called International Childhood Cancer Day.
And this? This is just the beginning.
We kicked off the movement, and in the next nine months, we are going to challenge everyone – governments, organizations, researchers, and advocates – to take action.
No more waiting. No more delays.
In the next nine months, we will knock on every door – so if you haven’t received a knock yet, wait for it.
Thank you to our incredible speakers – who, despite their extra busy schedules, made time to join and support our mission.
A big thank you to International Society of Paediatric Oncology – SIOP for standing with us in this mission.
And of course a huge thank you to my second family – Gevorg Tamamyan, Samvel Chakhalyan, Tatyana Khoremyan, Amalya Sargsyan, Elen Baloyan, Yeva Margaryan, and the whole OncoDaily dream team, people who made this possible – those who worked tirelessly for months, who barely slept, who gave more than their maximum, who put every piece of this puzzle together.”
More posts featuring Shushan Hovsepyan.
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ESMO 2024 Congress
September 13-17, 2024
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ASCO Annual Meeting
May 30 - June 4, 2024
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Yvonne Award 2024
May 31, 2024
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OncoThon 2024, Online
Feb. 15, 2024
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Global Summit on War & Cancer 2023, Online
Dec. 14-16, 2023