Cox donation spurs Banner Children's cancer clinic

Feb. 28—Banner Children's at Desert Medical Center has received a $5 million gift from James M. Cox Foundation to create a one-stop clinic for East Valley kids battling cancer.

The Cox Foundation presented a check to Banner Health leaders, including Laura Snow, associate vice president for Women/Infant and Pediatric Services, that will enable the creation of a Blood and Cancer Center the Mesa hospital.

"Our mission is all about building a better future for the next generation," Cox Communications President Mark Greatrex said at a Feb. 22 press conference as he literally introduced the next generation — Kannon Riecks.

Kannon was living the American Dream in 2018 as a high school freshman playing volleyball. But one day before a game, he found a lump growing on the back of his leg that he and his parents wrote off as just a cyst until he had difficulty walking, bending his knee or even putting pressure on his leg.

"He could lose an arm and still go out there for his coach and give him everything he's got," his father, Ryan Riecks, said.

They immediately went to the Emergency Room at Banner Children's and the family elected for surgery a week later.

That week later, in April 2018, Ryan recalled doctors telling him and his wife what they removed tested positive for Ewing's Sarcoma, a form of cancer that most often occurs in and around the bones.

The next day, Ryan said they visited Dr. Naresh Reddivalla who, thanks to his "aggressively and quick" treatment, saved his son and has since become his "spirit animal."

In January 2019, doctors declared Kannon cancer-free and he's currently pursuing a career as a commercial airline pilot.

Ryan fought back tears as he described how "super easy" Kannon made the process for him "because he's just such an amazing kid," Ryan said.

But during his treatment, a small, unnecessary part of Kannon's treatment required that he have a needle placed into the port on his chest, then go downstairs, get in his parent's car and drive to another part of the hospital's expansive campus.

Kannon said he felt uneasy.

"I didn't really like that idea because I didn't like having the needle in my chest," Ryan said. "And my parents were pretty cool, but if that comes up, I don't expect them to know what to do."

The $5 million gift will help future patients avoid the unnecessary hassle and bring together consultation, treatment, and follow-up services exclusively for children and young adults up to 19 who have blood disorders or cancer.

"The hurdles of going from one facility to the next were just obstacles that were unnecessary when you're already trying to fight for your kid's like," Ryan Riecks said.

Consolidating the existing pediatric hematology oncology provider clinics and the outpatient pediatric treatment center — both currently operating in separate locations on the medical campus—will create an integrated cancer center delivering highly coordinated, high-quality care for some of Banner Health's most complex pediatric patients by 2024.

Banner Health will fully renovate and transform the newly dedicated space into a welcoming, contemporary clinic environment, with state-of-the-art medical equipment and an aesthetic designed with the unique needs of children in mind.

The new center will include five exam rooms, four private infusion rooms, two infusion bays, and space that will allow for wrap-around services to support the patient, siblings and parents in navigating cancer, such as psychosocial support and integrative therapies.

"What helped me going was always having a smile on my face," Kannon said. "I had an amazing support system, and they didn't allow me to have anything but a smile."

As pediatrics grows into adult care, the center will include formalized programs that provide streamlined care as they manage the post-effects of a cancer recovery. The center will also be able to administer IV antibiotics sooner, for especially ill oncology patients who are currently routed to the Emergency Department.

In 2021, the Banner Children's at Desert oncology program recorded over 4,500 patient clinic visits and outpatient consults — a 27% increase over the previous year.

Growth in this highly specialized area of care is expected to continue over the next decade alongside projected growth in the East Valley's population of young families.

Snow said this comes as just a small part of Banner's mission to make healthcare easier, so life can be better.

"This is just one small way that we are able to design our services in such a way so that patients just have one place to go to receive all of their care instead of having to go to different locations on this rather large campus," she said.

In 2012, the James M. Cox Foundation also donated another $5 million to establish Center for Integrative Oncology at the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert.

For Ryan Riecks, a positive demeanor and humor got him through the scary time watching his son endure his battle, and appreciated Cox's generosity.

"It's easy to get slumped down in a hole and self-pity, but staying positive, humor and things like that'll definitely help get you through it," Ryan said. "Everybody can make a difference, whether big, whether it's small, let's try to put an end to pediatric cancer."