Blake Shelton has made a habit of giving back to his home state of Oklahoma in colossal ways.
In 2018, Oklahoma University's Children's Hospital Foundation and the country singer established the Blake Shelton Cancer Research Program. The program is in honor of Shelton's cousin, Aspen Van Horn, who received treatment at the hospital's Jimmy Everest Center for a neuroblastoma tumor when she was less than a year old.
Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer that forms in the nerve tissue and is most commonly found in infants. Von Horn received two blood transfusions, three rounds of chemotherapy, and a surgical procedure to remove much of her tumor. Thankfully, the treatment was successful, and she is alive and well to tell her story today.
Oklahoma native and country music star,@blakeshelton, establishes the Blake Shelton Cancer Research Program in honor of his cousin, Aspen Van Horn. You can support the research program here: https://t.co/IZ7XLrB7rO #blakeshelton #cancersucks #defeatchildhoodcancer pic.twitter.com/3bkbwT0tX0
— Oklahoma Children's Hospital Foundation (@okchf) December 10, 2018
If you've been a fan of Shelton for a while, you know that this isn't the first time he's shown support for the Oklahoma University Children's Hospital Foundation. In 2016, Shelton donated $600,000 to the Jimmy Everest Center with Gwen Stefani by his side while the two were in Oklahoma City performing.
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"They don't turn any kids away," Shelton said onstage. "You come in there, you have a problem, they don't turn anybody away, so I thought, 'That's a place that needs some money.'"
The Voice coach's donation was received with open arms. Oklahoma's The Ada News reported that the Children's Hospital Foundation's board president Chip Keating thanked Shelton for the "support in defeating childhood cancer."
I think we can all agree that this is a heartwarming story of giving back to your community.
