Richard and Melanie Gonzmart Gift Advances Cancer Care for Adolescents and Young Adults at TGH Cancer Institute

The Richard and Melanie Gonzmart Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Program addresses the special needs of TGH cancer patients ages 15 and up.

Tampa, Fla. (Jan. 15, 2026) – The Tampa General Hospital Foundation announced today that it has received a $1 million gift from Richard and Melanie Gonzmart in support of the TGH Cancer Institute’s Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer (AYA) Program. 

Now named the Richard and Melanie Gonzmart Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Program, the program helps young patients from age 15 and up who require elevated services and a holistic approach to treatment.

“Tampa General Hospital has a record of providing world-class academic health care to adolescents and young adults facing a life-changing cancer diagnosis,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Florida Health Sciences Center | Tampa General Hospital. “Richard and Melanie Gonzmart are trusted partners who will help us continue to provide hope and excellent outcomes for these patients.”

“This transformative gift will help us elevate and innovate the care needed for vulnerable adolescent and young adult patients, a population that for many years the oncology field did not pay much attention,” said Dr. Eduardo M. Sotomayor, vice president and executive director of the TGH Cancer Institute. “It makes it possible to diagnose and provide a state-of-the-art care specifically designed for this particular patient population that has quite different needs than other cancer patients.”  

The AYA program, which is led by medical oncologist Dr. Victoria Rizk, addresses everything from diagnosis to barriers to care such as childcare expenses, fertility preservation and transportation issues.

“Patients diagnosed with cancer at a young age face a unique set of challenges that older individuals may not experience,” Rizk said. “Our role is to identify and anticipate these needs through psychology, genetics, nutritional guidance and a dedicated nurse navigator to guide each patient and support them through every step of their journey.”

The fourth-generation caretaker of the 1905 Family of Restaurants, Richard Gonzmart has invested in cancer research for many years and is a former board member of Florida Health Science Center. He was inspired by the loss of a childhood friend when he was just 12 and is awed by how academic medicine has evolved to save so many lives now. 

“My 20 years of investing in children's cancer research has been the best investment I've ever made in my life,” Gonzmart said. “Seeing a child who was once given no hope and then seeing that same child 15 or 20 years later, alive, thriving and working — some even in the health care field — is truly amazing. It feels good in a way that words can hardly convey. None of us are as strong as all of us, and together with the TGH AYA Program, we will find a cure.”

“Richard and Melanie Gonzmart are inspirational philanthropists who are dedicated to bettering our community in many ways, one of which is driven by their passion to fight childhood cancer,” said Frann Leppla, executive vice president and TGH Foundation president. “We are tremendously grateful for their partnership in innovating care for the young patients at our TGH Cancer Institute.”