Register Now for One Retinoblastoma World 2021 Virtual Conference!
Monday August 2, 2021
Join World Eye Cancer Hope and local organizers from Australia for the sixth One Retinoblastoma World Conference, taking place virtually from October 1 – 3, 2021. Marissa Gonzalez, WE C Hope USA President, and this year’s Hosting Chair, introduces the conference and what’s in store for this unique collaborative program uniting professionals, families and survivors.
You Are Warmly Invited to Virtual One Retinoblastoma World 2021!
We are delighted to invite you to this year’s One Retinoblastoma World conference, which will be held virtually on October 1-3, 2021. This is a wonderful space for medical professionals, researchers, parents, survivors, family members and children to gather, share knowledge and experience, and learn from one another. A place to ask questions, find answers, develop solutions, and work together to advance care for all children, families, and survivors affected by retinoblastoma around the world.
This year’s program will take place over three days, with varied start times to be as welcoming as possible to our global community.
- Friday, October 1st from 3pm – 8pm PDT
- Saturday, October 2nd from 2pm – 7pm PDT
- Sunday, October 3rd from 9am – 2pm PDT
A timezone comparison is included in the program section below.
What is One Retinoblastoma World?
One Retinoblastoma World is a global network with the bold idea that all children with retinoblastoma and survivors can have equal opportunity to access optimal care. When diagnosed early and treated effectively, childhood eye cancer is curable. No child should die, or suffer avoidable blindness because of it.
Collaborative research, clinical care, and family support benefitting the majority of children and survivors can only be developed through inclusive meetings with a real-world focus. Recognizing this need, WE C Hope founded the One Retinoblastoma World conference in 2012, gathering together eye and cancer specialists, researchers, parents, and survivors from around the world to pursue the best possible care for all children, and throughout life.
“This conference unites patients and doctors in the fight for a better way and better therapies for this disease. The unity between patient directed needs and doctor directed solutions is unprecedented.”
“It was great to connect and hear from retinoblastoma survivors and experts around the world. We are so lucky to be able to access that much information without having to leave our homes.”
One Retinoblastoma World usually takes place immediately before the World Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP). The SIOP Congress is the world’s largest annual paediatric oncology meeting, gathering thousands of medical professionals and parent/survivor advocates from every corner of the globe to share and build knowledge for children with cancer.
To date, five One Retinoblastoma World meetings have been convened, hosted and planned by different institutions and organizations. They continue to grow in size, scope and content, and programs reflect the priorities of host and planning teams.
Dr. Jesse Berry answers an audience question during the Genetics session, while fellow panelists listen.
Aloha Virtual One Retinoblastoma World 2021!
Hosted again this year by World Eye Cancer Hope, this year’s local organizing committee is made up of doctors, parents and survivors across Australia. WE C Hope is excited to partner with our Australian friends and bring attention to retinoblastoma in the Pacific Rim. While we hoped to convene in person in Hawaii, we are encouraged and excited that the virtual format will allow for more international participation.
I am thrilled that One Retinoblastoma World is returning to the United States – even if virtually this year, and to be organizing this conference with Dr. Sandra Staffieri, Retinoblastoma Care Co-ordinator at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. We have listened to feedback from our community and, together with input from across the globe, we have selected programming that reflects what survivors and families want to know about. As a survivor, I am excited that we will be hosting a survivor and family day for the third conference in a row.
Scientific program chair, Dr. Sandra Staffieri, is equally excited to represent the many faces of retinoblastoma in Australia, saying: “I am so looking forward to co-convening the Virtual One Rb World Conference. Yes, we were supposed to be sunning ourselves in beautiful Hawaii, but the universe had other plans. On a positive note, a fully virtual conference will give many more parents, survivors, clinicians and children the opportunity to participate in the program, and we look forward to you joining us from wherever you are in the world.”
What’s on the 2021 Program?
This year’s program will include sessions co-led by clinicians, researchers, survivors and families on a range of topics, including:
- Survivorship
- Genetics
- Prosthetic eyes
- Retinoblastoma around the world
- Early detection
- Child life programs
- New treatments
- Mental wellness
Child Life Programs will run concurrently on all three days to provide fun, wellbeing and learning activities for youngsters diagnosed with eye cancer and their siblings. Register by September 1 to receive your One Rb World swag bag and child life supplies.
“The child life activity was a wonderful reminder of the need to allow children freedom to express all the things they are feeling, both positive and negative. Having concrete activities that allow open discussions is such an important part of any child’s cancer survivorship journey.”
Day One of the conference will focus on survivorship, during which survivors from around the world will share their stories and experiences. A session about second cancer risks and survivorship programs will offer insight into navigating the adult survivorship world.
Through a combination of presentations, open floor discussions, and small group work, we hope to engage the entire delegation, advance understanding and effective comprehensive care.
Daily Start Times Around the World
DAY 1: Friday, October 1st, 2021
- 10pm UTC/GMT
- 3pm PDT (Los Angeles)
- 6pm EDT (New York)
- 12pm HST (Hawaii)
- 11pm BST (London)
Saturday, October 2nd, 2021
- 12am CEST (Paris)
- 3.30am IST (Delhi)
- 5am PHST (Manila)
- 8am AEST (Melbourne)
DAY 2: Saturday, October 2nd, 2021
- 9pm UTC/GMT
- 2pm PDT
- 5pm EDT
- 11am HST
- 10pm BST
- 1pm CEST
Sunday October 3rd, 2021
- 2.30am IST
- 6am PHST
- 8am AEST
DAY 3: Sunday October 3rd, 2021
- 4pm UTC/GMT
- 9am PDT
- 12pm EDT
- 6am HST
- 5pm BST
- 6pm CEST
- 9.30pm IST
Monday, October 4th, 2021
- Midnight PHST
- 3am AEDT
Day 1 Schedule Summary
- 3:00-3:10pm PDT: Welcome
- 3:10-3:25pm PDT: Keynote remarks
- 3:25-3:30pm PDT: Childlife overview
- 3:30-4:00pm PDT: Childlife Session (running simultaneously)
- 3:30-4:20pm PDT: Survivor Panel
- 4:30-5:20pm PDT: Survivorship and Second Primary Cancers
- 5:30-6:20pm PDT: Genetics
- 6:30-7:20pm PDT: All About Prosthetic Eyes!
- 7:30-8:00pm PDT: Breakout Networking Sessions
Day 2 Schedule Summary
- 2:00-2:05pm PDT: Welcome
- 2:05-2:30pm PDT: Keynote remarks
- 2:30-3:20pm PDT: Psychosocial Aspects/Mental Health
- 3:30-4:30pm PDT: Eyedrop Session
- 4:30-5:00pm PDT: Childlife Session (running simultaneously)
- 4:30-5:00pm PDT: Breakout Networking Session
- 5:00-6:50pm PDT: Impact of Early Detection
- 6:50-7:00pm PDT: Closing Remarks
Day 3 Schedule Summary
- 9:00-9:05am PDT: Welcome
- 9:05-9:20am PDT: Keynote remarks
- 9:20-9:50am PDT: Child Life Session (running simultaneously)
- 9:20-10:10am PDT: Retinoblastoma Around the World
- 10:15-11:05am PDT: Awareness Campaign
- 11:05-11:30am PDT: Breakout Networking Session
- 11:30am-12:20pm PDT: Ethnography in Retinoblastoma
- 12:20-2:20pm PDT: New Treatments and Research
- 2:20-2:30pm PDT: Closing Remarks
The engaging child life program at One Retinoblastoma World 2020 included a story to learn calming strategies from the Very Hungry Caterpillar, and a calming jar craft activity. Mindfulness Jars help stressed children focus, relax and calm down.
The Feelings Tubes activity was popular with children and adults alike. Participants created tubes with a variety of feelings faces on them. They erupted like a rainbow volcano. Simple kitchen chemistry affirming that all feelings are okay – for everyone.
Building on Last Year’s Virtual Success
In October last year, a diverse community of survivors, families and medical professionals came together for two days of inspiring panels, research and calls to action, despite the raging global pandemic. We are so motivated by the success of our 2020 virtual conference, which welcomed a record 270 attendees from 38 countries across six continents – our largest attendance to date. The novel structure expanded access to many professionals, parents, and survivors, and allowed for global collaboration and networking while prioritizing health and safety.
Ottawa, Canada was the backdrop to the 2020 virtual program as panel, discussion, and networking sessions brought lived experience of retinoblastoma and survivorship to the fore. Topics ranged from early diagnosis, genetics, treatment guidelines, and vision to psychosocial care and survivorship, and speakers from every continent brought a truly global context.
“We are so grateful to be part of an international platform where we can learn and share with experts and families from around the world. Both days of the conference captured topics vital to raising awareness, treatments and what it means to be a cancer survivor.”
Use the button in the top right corner of the video panel to move between sessions in this One Rb World 2020 Conference playlist.
I am so proud of our 2020 conference team, and the event itself. The many challenges of the global pandemic did not diminish the commitment of our panelists, nor our conference participants. Indeed, their enthusiasm for One Retinoblastoma World at a time of such intense global and personal uncertainty highlights the great need for this conference to evolve as a globally accessible event.
We hope that One Retinoblastoma World 2021 will continue to bring together our community in this unique collaborative forum, to share knowledge, best practices, cutting edge research and the everyday trials of cancer survivorship. We look forward to welcoming you on October 1 with a very warm Aloha! Register now to be part of this year’s global conversation.
About the Author
Marissa Gonzalez resides in Southern California and is an event director. She is a founding board member, and current President of World Eye Cancer Hope USA, and was Event Chair for the One Retinoblastoma World Conference in 2017. In her downtime, Marissa enjoys travelling and going to Disneyland.
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