THE GIVING IT BACK AND PAYING IT FORWARD NEWSLETTER
Happy Fathers Day to… Everyone?
You guessed it: Fathers Day is June 15. But why should I mention this to you?
Well, since you have been kind enough to be part of our business, I wanted to take the opportunity to give you a free gift on Fathers Day. Chances are that you are not a dad, but I am sure the dads won’t mind. So I am going to go ahead and give you (and those you know) TWO very special free gifts.
Yes, TWO Gifts.
Gift #1 We will sell your home at your price, or we will buy it.*
Yes, this is the guarantee I am most famous for. And you will know that, whether it’s a super awesome real estate market or a housing recession, I have not wavered from this guarantee. The peace of mind from a guarantee like this is a fantastic gift.
I can think of none better. My team and I are committed to results. In fact, Results-Oriented is one of our core values. For more than 30 years, people have been coming to us when they want their home sold, at their price and with the least hassle. We look forward to the next 30 years of Guaranteed Results for L.A. homeowners. #coreychambers #realestate #news
Your Referrals Change Lives!
Go Serve Large!!! Investing In The People Of Our Great Community.
With The Corey Chambers Team, Your Referrals Really do Change Lives!
If you or a friend are thinking about selling, make sure to choose a real estate company you can trust!
A Real Estate Company That Gives Back!
Gift #2… Donations to one of the areas Leading NonProfits, CHLA Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. In last month’s letter, I updated you on our goal of raising $25,000 for CHLA, CHOC and Valley Children’s. In case you missed it, we donate a portion of our income from home sales to help the kids. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is a 501(c)(3). a nonprofit institution that provides pediatric health care and helps young patients more than half a million times each year in a setting designed just for their needs. Its history began in 1901 in a small house on the corner of Alpine and Castelar Streets (now Hill St. in Chinatown) and today its medical experts offer more than 350 pediatric specialty programs and services to meet the needs of patients. CHLA provides more than $316.2 million in community benefits annually to children and families. As the first pediatric hospital in Southern California, CHLA relies on the generosity of philanthropists in the community to support compassionate patient care, leading-edge education of the caregivers of tomorrow and innovative research efforts that impact children at the hospital and around the world. YOUR REFERRALS HELP THE KIDS! Keep them coming!
Our goal: Raise $25,000 for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles!
Who do you know considering buying or selling a home you could refer to my real estate sales team? Not only will they benefit from our award-winning service and ironclad guarantees but the kids of Children’s Hospital will benefit too! Just give me a call or pass my number on to anyone you know considering buying or selling. My number is 213-880-9910.
Your Referrals help the Kids!
Life moves fast for some and we are eager to make the Home Selling and Buying experience a smooth rewarding one. Over the last two decades of helping thousands of families sell their home and/or buy another, we have met some wonderful, loving, caring people. People like you! As we move forward this Summer, please know we are A Real Estate Company That Gives Back!
Thank you in advance for your referrals! My number is 213-880-9910.
Go Serve Big!!!
Corey Chambers, Broker DRE#01889449
P.S. Check out the story enclosed of this amazing young person whose life was given back thanks to CHLA.
A real estate company with experience, proven results, and a give-back philosophy!
Refer your friends, neighbors, associates or family members considering making a move:
You can go to www.ReferralsHelpKids.com and enter their contact info online, or forward the link to someone you know considering a move.
Of course, you can always call me direct as well at 213-880-9910
Why I support Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles
I grew up right here in the Greater Los Angeles Area, born in Los Angeles County at St. Francis Hospital. I remember when I first heard about a young person close to our family suffering from a nasty disease and getting treated for that at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. It was then that I began to pay closer attention to the work they do at that hospital. Since then, I have learned that it is a collection of hard-working health care professionals, most making their home right here in the Los Angeles area, all coming together for a common cause. That cause is to help young people overcome unfortunate health issues that life sometimes throws our way. Being a Los Angeles Area California native, I take pride in supporting in a way that I can the good work these people do at Children’s. My team rallies around our annual goal or raising money and donating portions of our income to help Children’s in their quest to heal young people when they need healing. My team and I are committed to providing outstanding results for buyers and sellers referred to us by our past clients. I have discovered that Children”s Hospital Los Angeles shares similar commitment to their patients. And since their services survive on sponsorships and donations, we are happy to contribute and proud to support them.
Sincerely,
Corey Chambers
*seller and Corey must agree on price and time of possession. Corey Chambers, Broker DRE#01889449
A Lifesaving Move for Ella: One Family’s Journey With High-Risk Neuroblastoma
Ella and her family moved from Virginia to California so she could receive nation-leading treatment for high-risk neuroblastoma at CHLA. Medicaid coverage for children made accessing that treatment possible. — by Sara Jones (Courtesy CHLA)
Ella was just shy of 2 years old when a hug changed everything
It was June 2020—still the early days of the pandemic—and already a season full of changes for the family.
Ella had become a big sister to her little brother, Francis, just two weeks prior. Her parents, Megan and Marcus, had recently transitioned out of the military and were pursuing law school.
Megan’s mom was visiting the new family of four at their home in Virginia. While hugging Ella, she noticed a lump on the right side of her granddaughter’s abdomen and pointed it out to Megan.
“I immediately knew it was not normal,” Megan recalls.
Marcus and Megan took Ella to the pediatrician that same day, who referred Ella to their local emergency department.
“It all happened so fast,” says Megan. “I was home with Francis and my mom, and Marcus texted me from the emergency department saying, ‘It’s something. They’re not sure what yet, but it’s not looking good.’”
Megan rushed to join Marcus and Ella at the hospital. That’s when doctors told them that Ella had cancer.
The journey to a neuroblastoma diagnosis
“It was shocking,” Megan recalls. “I’d just taken a video of her running around, being a kid.”
“Watching it back, you’d have no idea that we were about to find out our daughter has cancer. We had so many questions.”
Because of how Ella was presenting—happy, energetic, healthy, other than the lump in her abdomen—doctors were almost certain it was Wilms tumor, the most common type of pediatric kidney cancer.
In line with the standard protocol for this condition, Ella immediately went into surgery to remove the tumor and the affected kidney.
When the tumor came back from pathology, however, it turned out Ella didn’t have Wilms tumor—she had stage 4 neuroblastoma.
A cross-country move for specialty cancer care
Neuroblastoma is a relatively rare, fast-moving, and difficult-to-treat pediatric cancer that affects about 700 kids in the U.S. each year. It develops from immature nerve cells in the body, and most often affects children ages 5 and younger.
Scans showed that the cancer had already spread to Ella’s abdomen and femur.
“I immediately started researching top hospitals in the country for neuroblastoma,” says Megan. “A family friend [Quynh Dao, NP] is a nurse practitioner at CHLA. So the whole time we were in Virginia, I was texting Quynh, and once the pathology came back, she put us in touch with Dr. Marachelian in the Cancer and Blood Disease Institute.”
Araz Marachelian, MD, MS, Medical Director of the Neuroblastoma Program, is one of the nation’s preeminent experts in neuroblastoma. Within a week of receiving the diagnosis, Ella and her family were on a flight to Los Angeles to meet Dr. Marachelian and her team.
The hardest, best decision
Standard protocol for high-risk neuroblastoma typically involves multiple rounds of high dose chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant to help restore healthy blood cells, then a combination of radiation and immunotherapy.
After five cycles of chemo at CHLA, scans showed the cancer in Ella’s abdomen and femur was almost completely gone—but her care team discovered a brand-new spot that had developed in her skull.
“Hearing Ella’s cancer had spread was almost worse than the first time I heard her diagnosis,” Megan recalls. “I just lost it.”
Ella has a particular genetic mutation called MYCN amplification. Megan knew what the data showed: Many kids with this mutation don’t respond to treatment after relapse.
The family met with Ella’s care team to discuss their options. Dr. Marachelian explained that Ella was eligible to participate in a new clinical trial at CHLA. This particular trial was investigating an alternate treatment regimen that had the potential to help kids with Ella’s exact gene mutation.
“A lot of doctors may have encouraged us to continue with the standard of care, not taking into account that Ella is unique; she had several factors that put her at high risk were we to continue with protocol,” says Megan.
“Dr. Marachelian looked at Ella as an individual, shared her thoughts, and encouraged us to decide as a team. And that’s what we did.”
Ultimately, they elected to take Ella off protocol and enroll her in the trial.
“It was the biggest, hardest, and best decision we ever made as a family,” Megan reflects, “But I still believe to this day that the trial is why Ella is clear.”
Childhood cancer research empowers specialized therapy
CHLA is home to one of the nation’s largest neuroblastoma programs and serves as the global headquarters for the New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy (NANT) Research Consortium—the only clinical trial consortium focused on developing new treatments for kids and young adults with neuroblastoma.
Through NANT, families like Ella’s may access clinical trials that test investigational therapies and treatments not available elsewhere. The trial, led by Children’s Oncology Group, included a relatively new targeted chemoimmunotherapy regimen which had only become available for neuroblastoma five years before.
Megan is still amazed at the results: After just two cycles, Ella was clear.
Ella continued the clinical trial regimen for a year, still with no evidence of disease. Then she returned to standard protocol for a few more months of immunotherapy and radiation.
She rang the end-of-treatment bell in June 2022.
“I truly felt a part of the team through the whole process,” Megan adds. “And we feel Dr. Marachelian is part of our family now because of what she has done for our Ella.”
[Enrolling Ella in the clinical trial] was the biggest, hardest, and best decision we ever made as a family. But I still believe to this day that the trial is why Ella is clear.” — Megan, Ella’s mom
Access when it matters most
Ella’s care at CHLA was supported by California Children’s Services (CCS). CCS is a state program largely financed by Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, and helps children with the most serious and complex medical conditions access specialized care.
As veterans, Megan and Marcus had military health coverage, but that coverage did not extend to their children.
“For us, Medicaid was exactly what it was designed to be: a bridge during the hardest moment of our lives,” says Megan.
No looking back
Ella has had no evidence of disease since January 2021.
When Megan is asked how she would describe her daughter today—now an elementary schooler and big sister to two—the first word that comes to mind is “extraordinary.”
“Ella is so confident and social,” Megan says. “She’s determined, she’s articulate, and I’m just so proud to be her mom. Most importantly, I’m happy we have more time with her. I credit much of that to CHLA.”
While Ella remains cancer free, the family has channeled their experience into helping advocate for others facing pediatric cancer.
“Going through this journey with Ella motivated me to give back and get involved behind the scenes,” Megan says. “Without Medicaid, we don’t know what would have happened. The question is whether other families in similar situations have access to that same chance.”
Megan has since joined the CHLA Foundation’s Board of Trustees as Chair of the Patient and Family Advocacy Committee. She and Ella have traveled to Sacramento and Washington, D.C., multiple times to share Ella’s story with lawmakers, highlighting the importance of supporting pediatric academic medical centers and expanding state and federal resources for children’s health.
“CHLA’s experts saved Ella’s life,” says Megan. “Speaking up is one way I can help protect care for the next child.”
I’m just so happy to be [Ella’s] mom. More importantly, I’m happy we get to spend more time with her. I credit much of that to CHLA. — Megan, Ella’s mom
Find out more about the Cancer and Blood Disease Institute.
— Story and photos courtesy Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
How you can help:
Refer your friends, neighbors, associates or family members who are considering making a move:
Visit entar.com/refer or call Corey at 213-880-9910
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Copyright © This free information provided courtesy L.A. Loft Blog and Entar.com with information provided by Corey Chambers, Broker, DRE#01889449 We are not associated with the homeowner’s association or developer. For more information, contact (213) 880-9910 or visit Entar.com Licensed in California. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Some text and images created or modified by artificial intelligence. Properties subject to prior sale or rental. This is not a solicitation if buyer or seller is already under contract with another broker.