After Mom's Cancer Death, Support Group For Kids Helps Howell Woman Reach College Dream

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — A Georgian Court University student from Howell Township has been awarded a scholarship to continue her education through a program that supports children who lost their parents to cancer.

Kelsey Hart, 22, was awarded the scholarship by the C. David Evans Foundation through the Oncology Kids Holiday Party and Scholarship Awards program at St. Peter's University Hospital, the organization said.

The program originally was created by a group of oncology nurses at Saint Peter’s to bring joy to children who had lost parents to cancer. The scholarship aspect was introduced later and has grown into an important piece of the event, officials said.

More than 100 children from the very young to college students take part in the holiday party each year, which offers the opportunity for participants to share their experiences with others who can relate to their sense of loss and to pay tribute to their loved ones.

Hart, an early childhood education major at Georgian Court who aspires to become a preschool teacher, lost her mother to metastatic breast cancer in 2017 when she was 14 and her mother was 40. She and her three siblings have attended the party each year since.

"I’m filled with gratitude," Hart said, explaining that this is the fourth year that the C. David Evans Foundation has supported her educational goals. "Knowing that the scholarship committee believes in my dreams continues to motivate me as I work hard to make a difference while honoring my mother’s legacy."

C. David Evans had died from cancer at Saint Peter’s and his wife, Celeste, had sought the support of the Oncology Kids program for her then 4-year-old daughter Carla.

"Celeste knew the challenges that some of these children would now face having not only lost a parent to cancer, but perhaps facing the financial impact of losing the family’s breadwinner," the organization said, and in 2012 she decided to ensure the scholarship would be sustainable year after year to support the higher education goals of the children.

"She and her husband were both advocates of higher education and Celeste felt strongly that making sure the scholarship continued every year was the best way to honor his legacy," the organization said.

“The nurses get to know the family members of their cancer patients when they visit their loved ones during frequent treatment sessions and extended hospitalizations," said Avril Keldo, the director of Professional Practice, Clinical Education and Nursing Research at Saint Peter’s University Hospital. "We’ve built a 'family' that delivers hope, resilience, and lifelong friendships."

"The holidays are rough for anyone who has experienced loss," Hart said. "Being surrounded by people who understand what you’re going through makes it a bit easier; knowing you aren’t alone has been an invaluable gift."