Robinson Malawi Fund

Imagine walking off the stage at Electric Factory only to get a devastating phone call that your 17yo brother is in the hospital with an abdominal mass doubling in size every 24hrs. Doctors diagnose a fast-growing cancer called as Burkitt lymphoma, which is extremely rare but thankfully has a 90% chance of recovery in the United States.

Porter Robinson’s brother Mark was able to get treatment and make a full recovery. Dr. Kate Westmoreland, who led the treatment, also heads up the pediatric cancer program ad UNC-Project Malawi. In Malawi, Burkitt lymphoma is the most common childhood cancer with survival rates as low as 29%.

Having seen firsthand the lifesaving work being conducted by Kate and her team, Porter started the Robinson Malawi Fund to show his support for these efforts to provide direct patient care to children with cancer.

What I love most about this is he didn’t just send a tweet or write a check. The team that saved his brother has dedicated themselves to providing this sort of life-saving care to kids all around the world and he used his platform to help drive financial and promotional support for that mission.

He flew Dr. Westmoreland out to Second Sky and put a booth for donations in the center of the festival. When we spoke with her, it was so much more compelling to understand the work they are doing and the impact a few dollars can make on the other side of the world.