FirstEnergy Sponsors Phonebank for Akron Children’s Hospital Radiothon

(L. to r.) Employees Kristen Riley, Sierra Wyman, Emery Gal and Tyler Shaffer take pledges at the FirstEnergy Phonebank. 

February 17, 2023

​The 98.1 KDD Radiothon to benefit Akron Children’s Hospital was held Feb. 9 and 10 in the hospital lobby and our employees were there to answer the call. Literally. Employee volunteers took pledges coming into the FirstEnergy-sponsored Phonebank, and the FirstEnergy Foundation matched donations – up to $10,000.

Since 2000, the 98.1 KDD Radiothon has provided patients and families the opportunity to share their personal stories on the air, prompting listeners to call in with pledges. This annual event has raised more than $11.5 million for the hospital since its inception and this year added, $404,206 in donations. Pledges are used to buy child-size medical equipment and to fund patient care, community outreach and research.

Vice President, Investor Relations & Communications, Irene Prezelj, was part of the event. She serves as a trustee for the FirstEnergy Foundation and is a member of the Akron Children’s Hospital Foundation Board.

“FirstEnergy and the FirstEnergy Foundation have a long history of supporting community initiatives that improve the quality of life for our customers. Investing in transformative organizations – like Akron Children’s Hospital – is a great way for us to make a positive impact in the communities we serve,” Irene said. “This hospital has made such a difference for so many of us at FirstEnergy. Our experiences and all the stories shared here – stories of healing, understanding and compassionate care – demonstrate the irreplaceable role Akron Children’s plays for Ohio’s families.”

Presenting the $10,000 check to Akron Children’s Hospital are: ((L. to r. back) Joshua Hull, John Greer, Janee Rue and Michael Myers, (L. to r. front) Anne Lazzerini, Irene Prezelj and Rhonda Lowery

Paisley’s Story

FirstEnergy employee Craig Benner was at the radiothon to share his family’s experience with Akron Children’s Hospital. Craig’s seven-year-old daughter Paisley was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), or brittle bone disease. She experienced more than 15 fractures that resulted in gross motor delays in her toddler years, which required various assistive devices to help her learn to walk. Just before her second birthday, Paisley was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) and received weekly medication injections to treat the swelling of her joints.

In Spring of 2020, she fractured her L1-L4 vertebrae and over the course of a few months, leg and back pain caused her to stop walking.  After further declining health and a series of tests, Paisley was diagnosed was Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and she was admitted to Dr. Pettee’s oncology unit at Akron Children’s Hospital. The following 26 months consisted of treatment and medical care.

(L.) Paisley and Craig who shaved his head when Paisley lost her hair during treatment. (R.)Paisley and her mom made dozens of hats (and collected donations from others) to help keep other oncology kids’ heads warm during the winter.

“The number of hospital stays and visits are hard to count but the Oncology staff is absolutely amazing,” Craig¸ Innovation Center Scrum Master V, said. “Akron Children’s really became our second home. The JRA has stayed away (fingers crossed) and we are hoping that the leukemia treatment knocked the JRA out of her system,” Craig continued.

“Due to all of her diagnoses, Paisley primarily uses a wheelchair and a walker to help her get around, but she’s working hard to get back on her feet. Just last month, she took her first steps on her own since April of 2020,” Craig said with pride.

(L.) Paisley during the later stages of her treatment at Akron Children’s Hospital. (R.) Paisley rang the bell to signal the end of her treatment.

Craig added that his leadership team’s support was key in helping his family through Paisley’s illness and treatment. “Especially in the first few months after the leukemia diagnosis, my leadership was instrumental in giving me the support and flexibility I needed to get my bearings and be a dad when I needed to be a dad.”

Paisley is a member of her community’s Mighty Dawgs cheer squad and Girl Scout Daisy troop. She loves music, dancing and all things pink – from princesses to unicorns.

Because of the incredible care she receives from her parents and Akron Children’s Hospital, Paisley and many other children will continue enjoying the hobbies and people they love.

The Benner family celebrating the conclusion of Paisley’s treatment.

(L.) Paisley the Mighty Dawg cheerleader! (R.) The Benner family celebrating Christmas, 2022.

Paisley and Craig attended a “Sweetheart Dance” a few weeks ago.