‘It really is a game-changer’: New nonprofit named after pickles works to support kids who have parents, caregivers with cancer
CHICAGO -- In the summer of 2019, three families came together to support one another through a shared journey.
The Agnews, Hlavaceks, and Smiths surely have much in common, but what brought them all together was figuring out how to cope with cancer, specifically when it came to navigating the experience with kids. Learning that there are little to no resources out there for children who are dealing with cancer diagnoses among their parents and caregivers led to the inception of the Pickles Group, a peer-to-peer nonprofit organization focused on helping kids and their families get through these unforeseen circumstances.
Mark Agnew, 44, is the former CEO of Lou Malnati’s Pizza. Mark was diagnosed with brain cancer in January 2019. He and his wife, Carolyn Agnew, 41, live in Winnetka and have four kids: Molly, 12, Elinor, 10, and twins, James and Henry, who are 7.
Jeff Hlavacek,
