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How one patient’s annual gift became a lifelong commitment
In December 1983, April Moell marked a deeply personal milestone: one year cancer-free. To celebrate, she made a $100 donation to the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation (JCCF), along with a promise to herself and to future patients to add an additional $100 to her gift every year for as long as she was able.
“When I came up with the idea, I realized that if I continued to be healthy, that could add up to a lot of money,” Moell said. “But it would be worth it. And every year I have figured out how to be able to give.”
Moell’s giving philosophy underscores a powerful truth of philanthropy: when donations are made consistently, at any level, their collective impact can be powerful.
“Dedicated donors like April are vital in supporting research that provides innovative, lifesaving treatments for more than 68,000 individuals battling cancer in our community that we care for,” said Dr. Michael Teitell, director of the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCLA Health JCCC) and president of the JCCF. “These new treatments are also then available to patients across the state and country.”
I realized that if I continued to be healthy and give year after year, that could add up to a lot of money. And every year I have figured out how to be able to give.
April Moell
Moell’s connection to UCLA began after a series of unexplained medical issues prompted a physician referral to UCLA Health JCCC.
The UCLA Health JCCC is one of only 57 comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S., the highest possible designation from the National Cancer Institute. Ranked as one of the nation’s “Best Hospitals” in cancer by U.S. News & World Report, it is internationally recognized for developing new therapies, offering both experimental and traditional treatments, and training the next generation of physician-scientists. UCLA Health JCCC’s six interdisciplinary research programs foster collaboration to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, while patients benefit from comprehensive services supporting survivorship and whole-person care.
On December 1, 1982, Moell was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), an aggressive cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Treatment began immediately, and after her first round, the disease went into remission.
Since her diagnosis, AML therapies have evolved significantly, with a growing focus on precision treatments that target the cancer while sparing healthy tissue.
“No one expected me to have the long survival that I’ve had,” Moell said. “Their work has been so impressive! That’s why I want to provide continuing support.”
Grateful patients like Moell have long helped advance medicine through donations of all sizes, contributions that collectively lead to improvements in therapies available to patients everywhere.
“Philanthropy supports work on new ideas from the best and brightest cancer researchers, with discoveries that change the landscape of cancer care, including for AML,” said Dr. Teitell. “These advances allow more patients such as April fuller, higher-quality lives.”
Moell’s instinct to help others is a defining thread throughout her life. Now retired, she spent most of her career as an occupational therapist at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, California, where she served as director of occupational and recreational therapies. In 1976, she founded the Orange County North Pole Network, bringing Santa Claus into hospitals and rehabilitation centers for more than 35 years. By combining her love of amateur radio with her work, Moell enabled hospitalized children to speak one-on-one with Santa from their rooms.
“The magic of North Pole Network was the fact that there was real surprise,” she recalled. “There was one little boy — I remember him almost getting up on his knees in the bed — exclaiming, ‘He knows me, he knows me!’”
Named “after” her father, March, April Moell sees her giving as both a celebration of her survival and an extension of a life devoted to helping others. In December 2025, she contributed $4,300 to JCCF to commemorate 43 years cancer-free. With that gift, her cumulative philanthropic support surpassed $90,000 — all built from a single $100 donation and a promise kept year after year.
By Jacqueline Mazarella
