Baseball team, merchants raise money for cancer research in honor of Sid Ortis

Mountain Brook has raised $76,500 collectively this spring to go toward local cancer research in Sid Ortis’ honor.

On Thursday, Crestline merchants presented a check to the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s of Alabama and UAB for $22,500 from the funds they raised at Crestline Family Night on April 23. S baseball team also presented a separate check for $54,000 raisedraised through its Strike Out Cancer fundraiser.

At the check presentation, Dr. Raymond G. Watts, director of the center, introduced Dr. Stuart Cramer, an assistant professor of pediatric oncology at UAB who is working to find new treatments for different forms of cancer.

“The funds you have helped us raise are finding more specific treatments,” Watts said. “One day not everyone will be treated with the same drugs with the same side effects, but instead personalized medicine will be individualized to each patient to maximize treatment success with minimal side effects.”

Cramer has served as one of Sid’s doctors since his diagnosis.

“This guy is a genius,” said Lynn Ortis, Sid’s mom. “He is going to find a cure. I am so proud to be from this place.”

Lynn also spoke about the importance of having a team of doctors who have treated Sid in Birmingham.

“I don’t think people understand what we have in our backyard,” Lynn said. “If we would have all been separated as a family, I can’t imagine [what it would have been like].”

As the check presentation ended, Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce Director Suzan Doidge encouraged someone to make a matching donation to the $76,500.