Children’s Cancer Research Fund (CCRF) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Dream Maker Award: R.J. and Liz Shook of Boca Raton, FL.
Dream Maker Award 2024
A Battery-Operated Heart – Megan’s Osteosarcoma Story
When 8-year-old Megan was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, she asked her mom what osteosarcoma was – she’d never heard the word before. Her mom said, “It’s something we don’t want, but it’s something we’re going to fight.”
Bone marrow recipient Ella is flower girl in her donor’s wedding
Ella had a very aggressive form of acute myeloid leukemia, and neither of her siblings were a marrow match. Even after the transplant, she had only a 10% chance of making it past the one-year mark. But thanks to Cody’s whim decision in college to donate marrow, Ella was able to participate in his wedding as one of their flower girls three years after her transplant.
Turning Pain into Purpose – Riding for Mary
In 2006, Mary, a strong and talented track runner, was slated to head off to her first year of college. She visited her doctor for the required physical check-up that was standard. But this exam turned out to be far from routine, and it would forever change the lives of Mary and her family.
The Truth About Being Your Sibling’s Stem Cell Donor
Andrew’s brother Joe was diagnosed with leukemia. After two relapses, Joe’s doctors offered a new treatment option: an infusion of Andrew’s stem cells. Andrew writes about the pressure that comes with potentially being his brother’s cure – and the fear that he may not be. I was 16 when my father brought me downstairs to explain why my brother and mother were not at the …
Great Cycle Challenge Rider Guillermo Pous Fernández – Beyond the Bike
When Guillermo Pous Fernández first signed up to participate in Great Cycle Challenge (GCC), he never predicted that he’d eventually raise tens of thousands of dollars each year — he just enjoyed cycling. Thanks to a GCC Facebook ad in 2017, Guillermo learned that he could ride his bike while making a difference. GCC is an annual cycling challenge that dedicates its funds to Children’s …
Honor Someone
Leukemia and other diseases of the blood and bone marrow may affect red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Treatment for children with leukemia is tailored to each child, depending on their illness. Chemotherapy and radiation are often used. At times, a blood or marrow transplantation (BMT) may be recommended.
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness MonthChildhood Cancer Awareness Month is recognized every September by childhood cancer organizations around the world with the goal to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research.September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is recognized every September by childhood cancer organizations around the world with the goal to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research.It’s all …
Annual Report
Annual Impact Report January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022 Full ReportIn 2022, you showed kids and their families that they aren’t alone in this fight – it’s all of us against childhood cancer.In 2022, you showed kids and their families that they aren’t alone in this fight – it’s all of us against childhood cancer.Read Full ReportBecause of you, we granted over$1 millionto chilhood …
DNA test could predict future brain tumor relapses in kids
Drs. Erin Crotty and Margot Lazow were motivated by their young, resilient patients to spend their careers studying some of the most difficult-to-treat and deadly cancers: brain tumors.
Could knowing genetic ancestry improve rhabdomyosarcoma outcomes?
Unlike some other childhood cancers, the outlook for RMS patients has not improved in recent years: five-year survival rates are less than 70% and fall to 30% for kids whose cancer has metastasized. African American children with RMS face a 16% worse survival rate than their non-Hispanic white peers.
Could data help us prevent some childhood cancers?
Thanks to donations from supporters like you, the Childhood Cancer & Leukemia International Consortium (CLIC; www.clic.ngo) is ushering in a new era of childhood cancer research.
Improving access to cutting-edge cancer care
Growing up as the child of immigrants, Jenny Ruiz, MD, regularly went to the doctor’s office with her grandfather, a kidney transplant patient who spoke limited English. “Because of our socioeconomic and cultural background, he depended on his grandchildren to take him to his appointments and who often ended up interpreting for him,” she recalled. “So that was my introduction to medicine when I was 16 or 17. I saw a lot of things that needed to be improved, and I felt that I could take a role in making those improvements for future patients.”
Standing Up Against Childhood Cancer
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM) is recognized every September by childhood cancer organizations around the world. The goal of CCAM is to increase awareness and raise funds for childhood cancer research. This year, Children’s Cancer Research Fund (CCRF) raised awareness with the theme “it’s all of us against childhood cancer”. We’d like to highlight some of the fundraisers who raised money and awareness this CCAM. …
Forbes/SHOOK confirmation
Thank you for joining the Forbes/Shook community in the Race Against Rare Leukemia! A confirmation email has been sent to the email address provided. Children’s Cancer Research Fund will follow up with a reminder of your pledge, to facilitate payment. Return to the Forbes/Shook homepage.
CCRF Awards Eight New Emerging Scientists
Through a selective granting process, Children’s Cancer Research Fund (CCRF) recently awarded these eight promising scientists the Emerging Scientist Award, each worth $100,000, to pursue their research.
Expanding research for kids with myeloid malignancies
Dr. Jessica Pollard is determined to solve a puzzle: myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a bone marrow disorder that affects the development of healthy blood cells. It can occur because of a genetic disposition or develop after chemotherapy. “MDS is a condition that’s very rare in kids, and it’s associated with poor prognosis,” Pollard said. “We don’t know how best to treat it, and treating it just like AML [acute myeloid leukemia] is probably not the right approach.”
Six frequently asked questions about childhood cancer and their answers
What causes childhood cancer? In children, the most common cause of cancer is randomly acquired DNA mutation, meaning childhood cancer is a disease of unfortunate random chance. Unlike adult cancers, childhood cancers aren’t caused by any behavioral or environmental factors (like smoking, overexposure to the sun or being exposed to toxic chemicals). In fact, there are some childhood cancers that develop before the child is …