Turtles Fly Too Dedicates Transport Mission to Support Stop Children’s Cancer

Mission honors Bonnie Freeman’s legacy in the fight against pediatric cancer

(Dec. 8, 2024)– Turtles Fly Too (TF2) is proud to dedicate its upcoming transport mission to the memory of Bonnie Freeman and the tireless work of her parents, Laurel and Howard Freeman, and her sister Carolyne Freeman, founders of Stop Children’s Cancer. The mission will involve the transport of 60 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles from the New England Aquarium to multiple locations in Florida.

Leslie Weinstein, President and CEO of Turtles Fly Too, has known the Freemans for 55 years and got to know their daughter, Bonnie, who passed away at the age of 12 from T-cell leukemia. After being diagnosed at the age of 10, Bonnie said to her parents, “Let’s do something so others do not have to go through what we are going through.” Her wish to help other children turned into a 43-year endeavor that has raised over $23 million for children’s cancer research at the University of Florida Health.

Dr. William Slayton, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at UF Health said, “The work they’ve done in Bonnie’s memory has really transformed our pediatric oncology program into a top program in the nation. By funding our research, they funded our clinical trials program, and having a strong clinical trials program is important. Through clinical trials the cure rates for the type of cancer Bonnie had have gone from less than 50% to over 90%.”

Dr. Slayton added that Stop Children’s Cancer “have also funded an endowed professorship that’s been held by top notch pediatric cancer researchers.” Having this funding in place allows UF Health to bring in some of the best researchers, making it one of the top places for children to be treated.

Through Stop Children’s Cancer, the Freemans have funded the Bonnie R. Freeman Clinical Trials, driving critical research breakthroughs that have improved cancer outcomes for children by more than 10%. One of the current trials is focused on a new drug that targets leukemia cells in infants, which could dramatically increase the cure rate for one of the most aggressive forms of childhood leukemia.

Due to a sudden drop in water temperatures, the New England Aquarium has recently experienced an influx of cold-stunned sea turtles. Once capacity is reached, Turtles Fly Too is

called upon to transport the turtles to marine medical facilities where they receive critical care and rehabilitation.

In recognition of their longstanding friendship and the Freemans’ unwavering commitment to childhood cancer research, Weinstein is dedicating TF2’s mission to Stop Children’s Cancer. “This is a small way for us to honor Bonnie’s memory and the incredible work her parents continue to do,” said Weinstein. “I am proud to dedicate this mission to them, knowing how much they’ve accomplished in Bonnie’s name.”

Laurel Freeman said that when her daughter got sick, Bonnie put all of her focus and attention into Stop Children’s Cancer. She helped with bake sales, went on T.V. for interviews, and while the other children were learning things like how to tell time, Bonnie wasn’t interested. “Bonnie didn’t learn to tell time, and I think she wasn’t interested or invested in it because she knew her time was limited. When she got sick, she was really a here and now person, she stayed in the present as much as possible.”