KCFS recently participated in the Whipping Childhood Cancer challenge after being inspired by alumnus Dr. Carol Shields of the Wills Eye Institute. Since leaving Kennedy in 1975, Shields’ went on to study at the University of Notre Dame (1979), the University of Pittsburgh (1983) and completed her residency at Wills Eye Hospital in 1987. She is currently Co-Director of the Oncology Service, Wills Eye Hospital, and Professor of Ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Shields’ has received numerous professional awards, authored or coauthored 9 textbooks, over 1000 articles in major journals, nearly 300 textbook chapters, and given nearly 600 lectureships. A large focus of her work over the years has been towards the treatment and cure of retinoblastoma, a rare childhood eye cancer affecting approximately 300 children a year in the U.S. Shields and the oncology service at Wills Eye treat about 120 of those patients each year. Dr. Shields and her husband Jerry are the parents of 7 children, ranging from ages 11 to 23 years. In response to our acceptance of the challenge, Dr. Shields told us, “It was Kennedy Catholic that inspired me to dedicate my life trying to find a cure for these children. Being a previous student at your school taught me the importance of spiritual guidance, hard work, discipline, giving, and dedication. I have all of you to thank for that.”
– Carol Lally Shields MD, Class of 1975