Bozeman Magazine

This event is an art auction to benefit Bozeman local Andy Woods and his transition from tile and stone mason to cancer researcher. This fundraiser will support Andy's study at The Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute which focuses on developing more-promising treatment options for children with Anaplastic Wilms tumor, a childhood kidney cancer which his daughter suffers from.

Stellablue Woods is a 9-year-old 4th grader at LaMotte Elementary School, and a childhood kidney cancer survivor. At 4 years of age, she was diagnosed with stage IV, diffuse anaplastic Wilms tumor that had spread to her lungs. Upon diagnosis, her family (which included a brand-new baby sister) was forced to move from their home in Bozeman, MT to Seattle Children’s Hospital for 1 and ½ years of treatment. Her prognosis was very poor, yet despite struggling with advanced, aggressive disease and relapse, she is thriving today and almost 4 years cancer free.

Like many children with cancer, Stella has been through more medical procedures than most people face in a lifetime. She has been near to death too many times to recall, yet she has always persevered and fought her way through some very difficult battles, including several very intense surgeries (her initial tumor resection was 14 hours long and removed a cantaloupe-sized tumor), a stem cell transplant, and massive doses of chemotherapy and radiation. In her own words, Stella says, “I do not believe in failure”.

Childhood cancer was a life-changing and eye-opening experience for Stella and her family. Thankfully, childhood cancer is extremely rare, and most people do not have to go through it. This rarity is part of a larger problem however, namely that very little funding or awareness exists for childhood cancer, resulting in a lack of research, and treatments that oftentimes fail patients. Loosing many of her close friends in the childhood cancer-world has been very difficult.

Stellablue is the source of inspiration for many, including her father, Andy Woods, who has found that his passion in life is discovering and promoting new and more-promising treatment options for children with rare cancers. Since Stella's experience with childhood cancer, he has been very involved with the children's cancer-world, and has had a significant impact on children with several rare cancers. His work so far has included the initial development of cell lines and mouse models for multiple rare childhood cancers, and the launch of a clinical trial for children with tricky cases of Wilms' tumor. He is a founding member of both The Rare Childhood Cancer Advocacy Group and The Bozeman3, a local non-profit which supports Gallatin Valley childhood cancer families.

Most recently, Andy has embarked on a career transition (at 40 years old!) from tile and stone masonry to full-time cancer researcher at The Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, where he leads a study focused on childhood kidney and liver tumors. His studies focus on developing more-effective treatments for these rare and deadly diseases. This work and life-transition has presented multiple challenges for the Woods family, yet Andy's passion for children with cancer is obvious and steadfast, and he has found ways to make a significant difference for these kids despite the challenges faced. Andy is looking forward to continuing his work directly in a lab dedicated to childhood cancers, and is a motivated and inspirational force for these children and families.