Photo: Memorial Sloan Kettering
At a press conference on Wednesday (May 27), Daltrey spoke of the new facility, which was made possible due to a donation from his band The Who. The lounge, which will be outfitted with the latest technology, lounge furniture, craft and work space, and a communal snack bar, will be open to patients who are part of the hospital’s Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Program.
The hospital treats an average of 650 patients age 16-26 at any given time each year, and the AYA program strives to normalize their experience and make connections to others going through similar situations.
Speaking of the lounge, which is to begin construction soon, Daltrey said: “The patients themselves, we thrive on their input. This is designed to suit them, to do the things they want to do, to do the activities they want to do.”
Roger and two young adult patients at MSK
“I think by the end of next year, we will have 12 of these in some of the top cancer places throughout the east coast and the Midwest”, he continued. “We’ve got hospitals queuing up for our services.”
“It makes so much sense to me,” he said. “This is something relatively cheap in medical terms. It just takes goodwill from the doctors, goodwill from hospitals and the administrators – that’s all it needs, a little bit of goodwill from the public and a bit of money.”
He went on to explain that through Teen Cancer America and the lounge, he hopes to provide a “movement and a community of young people who will go on to enhance society as a whole in the future.”
Roger Daltrey receiving a citation of merit for 'extraordinary dedication, generosity and leadership in the fight against cancer' from Memorial Sloan Kettering
Roger Daltrey and his bandmate Pete Townshend launched Teen Cancer America in 2012, after they spent over a decade working with Teenage Cancer Trust in the UK. The duo decided to bring their passion across the pond and make a difference in the lives of teens and young adults with cancer in the United States.
Also speaking at the event was Hernan Barangan, a twice survivor of cancer who was diagnosed with Leukemia when he was 15 years old, and he is now in wheelchair due to a treatment-related accident. He has since used his filmmaking expertise to capture the voices of young people with cancer. He recently completed visiting all 50 states to interview young people with cancer, on behalf of Teen Cancer America.
Watch Hernan's story on the Today Show:
He explained that the film he is making gives a voice to young people who might not realize that there are other young people going through the same things they are going through. “Teen Cancer America and Roger, you guys are the connector that makes that voice heard”, he said.You can catch The Who Hits 50! Tour at the following shows. For tickets and information, click here.
North American Tour
May 30 - Forest Hills, NY Forest Hills Stadium
European Tour
June 21 - Belfast Odyssey Arena
June 23 - Dublin 3arena
June 26 - London Hyde Park
June 28 - Paris Le Zenith
June 29 - Paris Le Zenith
July 1 - Amsterdam Ziggo Dome
Tour: Pete Townshend’s Classic Quadrophenia
July 5 - London Royal Albert Hall
North American Tour
September 14 - San Diego, CA Valley View Casino Center
September 16 - Anaheim, CA Honda Center
September 19 - Las Vegas, NV Colosseum At Caesars Palace
September 21 - Los Angeles, CA Staples Center
September 23 - Oakland, CA Oracle Arena
September 25 - Portland, OR Moda Center
September 27 - Seattle, WA Key Arena
September 29 - Vancouver, BC Pepsi Live At Rogers Arena
October 1 - Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome
October 3 - Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
October 6 - Saskatoon, SK Sasktel Centre
October 8 - Winnipeg, MB Mts Centre
October 10 - Minneapolis, MN Target Center
October 13 - Milwaukee, WI BMO Harris Bradley Center
October 15 - Chicago, IL United Center
October 17 - Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
October 19 - Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
October 21 - Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
October 23 - Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center
October 25 - Newark, NJ Prudential Center
October 27 - New York, NY Madison Square Garden
October 29 - Boston, MA TD Garden
November 1 - Washington, DC Verizon Center
November 4 - Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
