CURE Blog

CURE Childhood Cancer is thrilled to announce that we have received a challenge from dear friends Tom and Chris Glavine, Michael and Lauren Gearon and John and Ellen Yates, active philanthropists to the organization for many years. On August 16, 2010 Don Campbell, President of the CURE Board of Directors announced the “2010-2011 CURE Challenge” to potential new donors and current friends and family. “The CURE Challenge will match dollar for dollar any new gifts and increased gifts from our current friends to the Annual Giving Campaign for this fiscal year. We are very grateful to the Glavines, Gearons and Yates families for their extraordinary commitment to CURE! With friends like these, we are confident that childhood cancers can be cured in our lifetime!”

The 2010-2011 CURE Challenge leads the way for CURE to expand our research efforts by establishing a new research fund named in honor of Dr. Carlos Alvarado, a dedicated pediatric oncologist who retired in 2009 after nearly three decades of service at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Dr. Alvarado skillfully and compassionately cared for children with cancer while also contributing mightily to the search for a CURE through his research efforts. The Carlos S. Alvarado, M.D. Pediatric Cancer Research Fund will continue his work into the future by funding life saving research.

How to participate:
• Give a new gift to CURE’s Annual Campaign and the gift will be matched dollar for dollar up to $125,000.
• For current donors, give a gift to CURE’s Annual Campaign of an amount higher than last year’s gift and the increase will be matched dollar for dollar up to $125,000.
• All money raised by the CURE Challenge will support the establishment of the Carlos S. Alvarado, M.D. Pediatric Cancer Research Fund and directed to life-saving pediatric cancer research deemed scientifically promising by CURE’s Scientific Advisory Council.
• Donations in support of the CURE Challenge can be made online at www.curechildhoodcancer.org, by check payable to CURE Childhood Cancer and/or by stock transfer. For more information, contact Jann Jones at 770.986.0035 ext. 23 or jann@curechildhoodcancer.org.

Our 2010-2011 CURE Challenge donors share their reasons for creating the challenge:

John and Ellen Yates

We’re excited to be part of the CURE Challenge and to honor Dr. Carlos Alvarado, a dear friend and the physician for our son, Paul, when he was diagnosed with childhood cancer almost 20 years ago.

For many years while Paul was in treatment and later cared for as an off-therapy patient, Dr. “A” served as our family’s doctor, counselor, advisor and good friend. His gentleness, compassion and love for the kids at Childrens Healthcare – and for our son – were ever present. He was always there for Paul and our family – at Paul’s soccer games, off-therapy/birthday parties, and high school graduation. When he retired in 2009, the outpouring of love for him from friends, colleagues and patients was remarkable.

In recognition of Dr. Alvarado, our family is committed to supporting the CURE Challenge to fight childhood cancer through research and medical advances. Please join us in meeting this challenge and finding the cure!

Michael and Lauren Gearon

Michael and I are honored to be part of the CURE Challenge Grant. CURE Childhood Cancer has meant so many things to me over the years and as our children grow, the gratitude that I feel towards CURE magnifies.

CURE was there for me, my parents and my siblings when I was diagnosed with aplastic anemia at age 13. With only 10% chance of survival through the first few months, my prognosis was bleak. But because of cutting edge research that was conducted just prior to my diagnosis, my parents were given HOPE and I was given my life back. I was a child who survived because I was entered into a medical research trial of a new drug-a drug that had promise and that had helped a few others before me. It was the research that saved my life and CURE is all about supporting research-research that may give a child a future when a future does not seem possible.

Michael and I have 3 children and our oldest just finished his 7th grade year. I had just finished my 7th grade year when I was diagnosed and there are many times when I look at him and wonder how my parents got through that very tough, tumultuous, fearful time. Research gave them something to hope for when all the other options ran out. I can still remember my Mother reassuring me when I asked her what might happen if this new treatment didn’t work. Her answer was clear and simple and carried a lot of strength. She said simply “This new treatment WILL work”. That is all I needed to hear from her. I needed to hear that she hadn’t given up HOPE and that there were still plenty of reasons to keep on fighting.

Michael and I won’t stop fighting for children with cancer because we believe that every family deserves HOPE.

Tom and Chris Glavine

As parents of five, we have come to realize the challenges of being parents. On some days, our climb into bed can’t come soon enough. Throw a child sick with the flu in the mix and we have an exhausting sleepless night or two. Imagine getting the news that the doctors “found something” on what was meant to be your child’s precautionary x-ray. A visit to the doctor which was supposed to put your mind at ease becomes a life-altering experience. Our family became witness to this very nightmare a few years ago when our friends’ five year old son was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma. The family should have been celebrating a win on the basketball court that evening but, instead, were faced with how to proceed with decisions on the care that would ultimately save his life. We cannot tell you the perspective we gained from their treacherous journey. Though our friends welcomed meals, thoughts and prayers with open arms, we realized it wasn’t enough for us. We became committed to doing more to find a cure for these precious children. Please join us in this fight.