Late last year, CURE Childhood Cancer sat down with Dr. William Woods, Director of the Aflac Cancer Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. We are pleased to present the second installment in a series of videos of our conversation with Dr. Woods, in which he discusses how CURE funding has helped him over the years.
Stayed tuned in the following weeks for additional videos.
Late last year, CURE Childhood Cancer sat down with Dr. William Woods, Chair of Hematology/Oncology at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. We are pleased to present the first installment in a series of videos of our conversation with Dr. Woods, in which he discusses how CURE funding has helped him over the years.
Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks for the rest of the videos.
CURE Childhood Cancer understands that funding research saves lives. A very important petition was recently submitted to the White House proposing an increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). We support this petition wholeheartedly and ask each of you read this post and sign the petition today. Please help spread the word so the required 25,000 signatures will be obtained.
Funding for the NIH supports a massive, vital engine that improves our nation’s health,advances research, promotes medical education, and generates 1,000,000 jobs, in all 50 states. It has been funded at decreasing (flat or sub-inflationary) rate since 2003. Thousands of promising careers, research projects, and laboratories have been aborted or closed down because of this funding crisis. The proposed flat $30.7 billion budget will bring this crisis to a boiling point. Instead, this petition proposes a $33 billion NIH budget for fiscal year 2013.
In order for a petition to stay active, it must receive 25,000 signatures over a 30-day period. A similar petition was started by Stephen Meltzer from Johns Hopkins and expired on 3/18/12 with 24,554 signatures. The petition was only 446 short. This cannot happen again!
As of right now, the new petition still needs approximately 17,000 signatures. We know how strong the support is in the CURE Community, so we are confident we can help this petition reach 25,000 signatures. We are simply asking each of you to view the petition, create an account, and add your signature.
We can do this!
Here at CURE Childhood Cancer, we are committed to finding a cure in our lifetime. The most important way to make this happen is through supporting childhood cancer research initiatives. CURE Childhood Cancer’s Research Initiative has invested more than $1.5 million this year alone to support research aimed at finding a cure.
Executive Director Kristin Connor says, “CURE is extremely pleased to be partnering with outstanding scientists to continue our search for cures and better treatments for children with cancer and to improve the quality of life of childhood cancer survivors. CURE has a 36 year long history of supporting promising research and we are proud to continue that effort.”
This year, CURE is funding two fellowship grants as well as 11 specific research projects focused on the types of children’s cancer most difficult to cure. To read about each of these research projects, click here.
On top of the $1.5 million, The Press On Fund is expected to raise an additional $200,000 to be awarded to promising AML and Neuroblastoma research projects.
We are excited about the research CURE is funding this year and are thankful to all of our supporters for making this research possible. With all of your help, we are one step closer to finding a cure.
In 1983, the Delta Delta Delta Atlanta Alumnae Chapter (“Tri Deltas”) hosted the first annual “Care Affair,” a dinner dance and auction to benefit CURE Childhood Cancer. Inspired by Dr. Abdel Ragab, CURE’s founder, and his drive to find cures for childhood cancers, the Tri Deltas were delighted to raise $13,000.
Twenty eight years later, the Tri Deltas are still at it. Atlanta alumni of all ages, from schools all around the nation, meet to raise money to support Dr Ragab’s dream to end all cancer in his lifetime.
Atlanta Tri Deltas have raised more than $1.7 million dollars for CURE and watched the cure rate rise from 20% in the 1960s to nearly 80% today. Long time Tri Delta Alumnae Lynn Lanier reflects, “Like every one of you, parent, friend, fundraiser, we gather together to pray our united efforts see the CURE in this decade.”
The 28th Care Affair was held April 9, 2011 at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Duluth with approximately 180 attendees. The event included a wonderful sit down dinner, silent and live auctions and an energetic band. The speaker was Lauren Gearon, a survivor of Aplastic Anemia, CURE board member, wife & mother! Lauren’s story inspired all with her walking example of how cutting edge research leading to just one option for children who have none other can and does save lives. Jill Becker and Jeff Hollinger from 11Alive emceed the live auction which included 3 priceless painted planters by 3 cancer patients – Sarah Barr, Katherine Athanassiades, and Ana Hardt. The event was successful due to all the sponsors and auction donors, resulting in a donation to CURE of $64,000.
CURE is grateful to all of the Tri Deltas who work tirelessly to continue the wonderful tradition of Care Affair. We are particularly grateful to all of the 2011 sponsors and donors and extend a heartfelt thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Tom Jewell who have sponsored this event for all 28 years and Balfour Beatty which has donated more than $25,000 in the past 5 years!
by Laura Scholz
Each year, CURE Childhood Cancer awards more than $1 million in research funds to scientists working directly to discover new treatments, drug therapies and ultimately cures for pediatric cancer. Currently, less than two percent of federal funding for cancer research is directed toward solving children’s cancer. The funds CURE is investing in research is desperately needed and is making a real difference in the fight against childhood cancer.
One doctor leading the charge is Dr. Leslie Kean, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Emory School of Medicine. A graduate of Emory and past recipient of the university’s Pediatric Fellow of the Year award, Kean is part of the Aflac Cancer Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Team (BMT). The Aflac Cancer Center is a national leader among childhood cancer, hematology and bone marrow transplant programs and treats more than 350 new pediatric cancer patients each year. Since its inception in 1985, the BMT program has performed more than 800 pediatric bone marrow transplants per year, making it one of the largest pediatric BMT programs in the country.
CURE has awarded Kean a $100,000 research grant to begin testing and clinical trials for a new treatment to prevent Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD). GVHD is a deadly complication many children experience after receiving a bone marrow transplant, a common treatment for combatting pediatric cancers such as certain forms of leukemia and neuroblastoma.
About half of all bone marrow transplant patients develop this complication, which occurs when the newly transplanted materials, or graft cells, form pathogenic t-cells which attack the recipient’s body. Kean believes that in order to prevent GVHD, t-cells need to be treated and changed so they do not attack the recipient’s body.
With grant money from CURE , Kean started a clinical trial which tests a new treatment called Abatacept, a novel-therapeutic target for GVHD. This targeted therapy is a co-stimulation drug which blocks the t-cells causing GHVD. The Aflac Cancer Center is the only place in the country where patients can participate in this type of clinical trial.
“The money from CURE is absolutely essential in preventing and treating GVHD,” said Kean. Because of CURE ’s grant, Kean has been able to test her research on humans for the very first time.
For Kean, who started this research ten years ago, it’s rewarding “watching an idea blossom into something greater that can help thousands of children.”
The Abatacept clinical trial began six months ago with five leukemia patients, all over the age of twelve and in need of a bone marrow transplant. Patients receive the drug during the bone marrow transplant, after which Kean and her team run tests to determine the effectiveness of Abatacept in preventing GVHD. As the trial goes on, Abatacept will be tested against other drugs on the market to compare side effects, effectiveness and other variables.
So far, those in the trial have responded well to the treatment. Full results will be available within the next six months. Soon, Kean will begin testing on children as young as six, and eventually, she envisions a much larger nationwide clinical trial.
“Our long-term goal is a multi-center trial with the Aflac Cancer Center as the main site,” said Kean. “This larger trial will help test Abatacept head to head against the present standard therapy drugs in order to discover any side effects, but more importantly, to prove that it is more effective in treatment of HVGD than anything else on the market. That way, we can make bone marrow transplants safer and more successful for thousands of pediatric cancer patients as we work toward our ultimate goal: a cure.”
We have been hard at work so far this year at CURE Childhood Cancer. Working hard to support children in treatment and their families. Working hard to bring in new volunteers and donors to support the many initiatives aimed at finding a cure for childhood cancer. Working hard thru our research initiatives to advance the fight against childhood cancer. There are amazing men and women also working hard every day who you don’t get to hear from very often: our extraordinary team of CURE funded researchers. Here is a video from CURE Funded researcher Dr. Nicole Schlesinger:
CURE Childhood Cancer recently received a grant from the Cobb County Friendship Club. This club is made up of Cobb County employees who donate a portion of their salary to support charitable work in Cobb County or benefiting Cobb County residents. The grant CURE received will go to support our CURE Travel Totes which are given to newly diagnosed pediatric cancer patients. These totes include practical information and tips for families facing a cancer diagnosis as well as other items we feel will be useful to families throughout their journeys.
CURE would like to thank all Cobb County employees who made this grant possible.
Many Groups in Program Have not Received Support Before
CURE Childhood Cancer was honored by Wells Fargo with a $1,000 grant at the company’s Days of Giving ceremony at the Mansour Center in Marietta on Nov. 16.
The donation to (GROUP) is among contributions to 240 non-profit groups, each for $1,000, to organizations across Atlanta made at five community breakfasts. The company began the program in Atlanta last year and in 2010 expanded it by more than a third. Before the program began, Wells Fargo had not supported many of the groups before.
“These unrestricted dollars will allow us to continue to help the community,” said Executive Director, Kristin Connor. “With the economy still suffering, the money couldn’t come at a better time.”
“A hallmark of Wells Fargo is local decision-making and local involvement,” said Mindy Mercaldo, community bank president. “Through Days of Giving we’re connecting with local communities in a whole new way.”
She added that CURE Childhood Cancer was selected by frontline employees of the company for the honor.
Across Atlanta Wells Fargo has 5,000 employees and serves half of all Atlanta households. It has nearly 200 bank locations. Wells Fargo will make a total of $5 million in contributions to some 500 groups across Georgia in 2010.
Added Mercaldo, “We know the needs continue to be great across our area, especially now. This is a new way to help more people and more groups that we haven’t been able to reach in the past.”
Another inspiring part of our Kids Helping Kids series. This story, as told by mom, Lisa Chasin about her daughter Samara’s quest to make a difference.
Samara and I were watching our Girls 12 and under tennis team (Dunmoor subdivision) play the Horseshoe Bend tennis team in the beginning of November. Madie Dreesman was watching her younger sister play a match. Madie was wearing a bandanna on her head and it was obvious she had lost her hair to some sort of cancer treatment. We spent some time speaking with Madie, her mom and grandparents who were visiting from out of town.When we left the match and were in the car I noticed Samara’s eyes were welling up with tears. When I asked her what was wrong she asked me about the girl with the bandanna on her head. I tried to explain that she was sick, had cancer and was going through treatment, most likely chemotherapy. This opened the flood gates to many, many questions about how do people get cancer, how is it treated, is there a cure, etc., etc.
When I suggested we do a fundraiser to raise money for a camp for children who are sick Samara emphatically responded that she thought it was more important to find a cure. And that is how it all began.
When I was looking for people to help blast emails to publicize the event my friend Cindy Tromer said that her daughter Shelby was looking for a “Mitzvah Project” to do and that she would probably like to take this on. In case you’re not familiar, when Jewish children prepare for their Bat (a girl) or Bar (a boy) Mitzvah they typically create a project that involves community service (mitzvah means “good deed”).
The Tromer family and my family spent a month doing book drives, collecting books from a number of subdivisions, girl scout troops and from anyone we could think of. Deb Dreesman, Madie’s mom, got involved as well and did her own book drive.
Throughout the month of collecting we were sorting the books into categories. Then came the publicizing and advertising for the sale. We took out ads in the four local papers, created and put out signs in the major intersections surrounding the sale, blasted emails to neighborhoods, friends, family, and anyone we could think of, posted fliers in local businesses and schools and much more!
The day before the sale we recruited many volunteers to help load a caravan of cars/suv’s with boxes of books from both of our houses and unloaded them at the clubhouse in my neighborhood, Dunmoor, for the sale. More volunteers joined us to further sort the boxes, set up for the sale and then work the sale the next day. Many children and adults were involved. All were proud to help and it was a great experience for everyone.
In addition to the sale my neighbor, Melissa Murray, supplied the volunteers with t-shirts from her company, Double M Designs. The t-shirts had the words “celebrate” on the front and “life” on the back. We thought it would be helpful for shoppers to be able to easily identify the volunteers. Melissa sold these shirts as well as t-shirts with other positive statements (give-back, play-nice, etc.) and donated a portion of the proceeds to the fundraiser. When Madie showed up with her family we presented Madie with a “Celebrate Life” t-shirt as a thank you for inspiring us to have this great event.
It all lead up to a successful sale where we earned more than $2,000 benefiting CURE Childhood Cancer!
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