A 10-year-old boy from Orinda will shave his head alongside his father this Sunday, raising money for pediatric cancer research in honor of his older brother, who died after a six-year battle with leukemia. Garrett Stepanek and his dad are set to take part in a head-shaving fundraiser at Almanac Beer Company in Alameda, continuing a tradition the family has kept alive since losing Camden Stepanek.
Camden died on Dec. 16, 2022, after six years of fighting the disease, according to his profile on St. Baldrick's Foundation's website. He was first diagnosed with leukemia at age 3, and after a period of remission was diagnosed again at age 5, the foundation's page states. Over the following years he underwent two bone marrow transplants and enrolled in a clinical trial in St. Louis, enduring several relapses along the way, per the same account. As reported by KRON4, Garrett is shaving his head this year specifically in honor of his late brother.
Garrett's mother, Megan Stepanek, told KRON4 that shaving their heads is meant to symbolize a willingness to make the kinds of sacrifices that children with cancer are forced to make. She said Camden fought leukemia for six years and recovered from the brink of death several times, and that the family feels a responsibility to keep fighting in his memory. Garrett, for his part, recalled watching his older brother battle the disease for more than six years, saying Camden shone light on the people around him.
A Family Tradition Born From Loss
The head-shaving event has become an annual observance for the Stepanek family since Camden's death, according to KRON4's reporting. This year's shave is part of the 19th annual St. Baldrick's Foundation event, hosted by the East Bay Community and Children's First Medical Group, and scheduled for Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Almanac Beer Company in Alameda. Garrett told KRON4 that breakthroughs against leukemia are difficult to come by, and that he hopes the fundraising will help researchers find a cure and spare other families similar tragedies.
St. Baldrick's describes its mission as finding cures for childhood cancers and giving survivors long and healthy lives, according to the foundation's own materials tied to Camden's memorial page. Each year, the organization says, thousands of volunteers worldwide organize fundraisers — including its signature head-shaving events — to support that work, per its FAQ page. The foundation reports it has awarded grants to more than 387 institutions for all stages of childhood-cancer research and clinical trials.
The Stakes Behind the Shave
One in five children diagnosed with cancer do not survive, according to St. Baldrick's Foundation. The Stepaneks' St. Baldrick's fundraising effort supports childhood-cancer research. St. Baldrick's says its head-shaving events have raised more than $380 million for childhood-cancer research since 2005.
St. Baldrick's supports childhood-cancer research through grants. Survivors can continue to face long-term effects from cancer treatment.
A Model Seen Elsewhere in Northern California
The Stepaneks' local event echoes a similar partnership in the Sacramento region, where Keaton's Child Cancer Alliance teams with St. Baldrick's Foundation and Supercuts for two annual fundraising events, according to UC Davis Health. Those funds support both national pediatric-cancer research and local efforts at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Brave the Shave events tied to that partnership have raised more than $9.4 million to date, UC Davis Health reports.
For the Stepaneks, Sunday's shave is less about numbers than about memory. Garrett has said he hopes the money raised will help researchers find a cure and keep other families from experiencing what his own family went through after Camden's six-year fight.
