Mark Myers, Author at CURE Childhood Cancer

Jersey Mike’s Month of Giving

CURE Childhood Cancer is joining forces with Atlanta area Jersey Mike’s Subs for the 13th Annual March “Month of Giving” campaign. During the month of March, customers can donate to CURE at participating Atlanta-area Jersey Mike’s restaurants.

The Month of Giving campaign will culminate with Jersey Mike’s “Day of Giving” on Wednesday, March 29, when local Jersey Mike’s restaurants will give 100 percent of the day’s sales – not just profit – to CURE.

On Day of Giving, local Jersey Mike’s owners and operators throughout the country will donate their resources and every single dollar that comes in to more than 200 different charities including hospitals, youth organizations, food banks, and more.

This March, Jersey Mike’s hopes to exceed last year’s record-breaking national fundraising total of $20 million and help local charities striving to fulfill their missions and make a difference.

“I would like to extend a personal invitation to you and your family to visit Jersey Mike’s Subs throughout the month of March, and especially on Day of Giving when 100 percent of sales – every penny – goes to help a great local cause,” said Peter Cancro, Jersey Mike’s founder and CEO, who started the company when he was only 17 years old.

Throughout March, customers can make donations through the Jersey Mike’s mobile app or onsite. On Day of Giving, Jersey Mike’s restaurants will donate their resources and every single dollar that comes in — whether in-store, on-line, or through the app.

Since Month of Giving began in 2011, Jersey Mike’s has raised more than $67 million for local charities! Click HERE to find a Jersey Mike’s near you.

Mark Myers In Uncategorized

Big Goals & a Big Heart

Patricia started her new year with big goals and a big heart.

The Austin, Texas, native has always enjoyed running. She ran cross country in high school and often runs with her father. But in 2023, she plans on stretching her runs even further. She signed up for the Steamboat Marathon in June and is starting the training that will get her to the finish line.

“Running is my happy space,” Patricia said. “I like the mental aspect of it and have always wanted to do a marathon.”

While she is in great shape already, she’s not running just for herself. She’s also running for a little girl named Claire and other children with cancer. Patricia earned a Master’s Degree in Education with a concentration in Special Education. During her first year of teaching, three-year-old Claire was one of her students. They immediately became close, so Claire’s diagnosis was devastating to her.

“Claire was diagnosed with DIPG, which is a brain tumor with a very poor prognosis,” Patricia explained. “She came to school as often as she could. But after four months, she wasn’t able to. So for the next four months, I would go to her home to spend time with her. We didn’t really have a teacher/student relationship. They welcomed me into their family.”

Sadly, Claire passed away after an eight-month fight. But she left an indelible mark on Patricia’s life. In fact, Patricia quit teaching and went back to school to become a play therapist. Play therapists help children to make sense of difficult life experiences or complex psychological issues through play.

“I had to come to school and explain Claire’s sickness to other students, and then I had to share when she died,” Patricia said. “I wasn’t equipped for that role, but helping children is what I’ve always wanted to do.”

Claire’s fingerprints are also all over Patricia’s marathon. An important part of her effort is raising money to fund research through CURE. She uses the hashtag #Morethan4forClaire

“When I learned that less than 4% of the federal cancer research budget goes to solving childhood cancers, I had to do something to help,” Patricia said. “It is incredibly difficult to see a child you love go through treatment. The least I can do is run a marathon to raise money.”

Patricia’s fundraising goal is $5000, and with more than five months to go, she’s already well on her way. So if you see her pounding out long runs on the streets of Austin, cheer her on. Better yet, click HERE and support her effort.

Mark Myers In Uncategorized

Quiet Heroes offers a Special Connection

Being a mom can be exhausting on the best of days. The effort required to keep every family member fed, clothed, clean, and delivered, not to mention happy, is exhausting. When you add a childhood cancer diagnosis, things can unravel quickly.

Kristen Hazen found out just how isolating a cancer diagnosis can be. Her fifteen-year-old daughter, Hannah, is a Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor who was diagnosed during the COVID-19 pandemic. She finished her treatment in October 2021 and is doing great today. One thing that Kristen missed out on was getting to know other parents dealing with cancer treatment.

“When you’re in this unfortunate club, you want to share your feelings and fears with other people who understand,” she explained. “I didn’t get to be around other moms. In fact, last year’s A Tribute to Our Quiet Heroes was the first time I got the chance to sit down with moms like me.”

CURE created A Tribute to Our Quiet Heroes to be a haven where the moms of children with cancer can rest and lay down their concerns for one afternoon to enjoy laughing, pampering, and a unique sisterhood. The luncheon honors more than 250 mothers, many of whom come straight from the hospital to attend.

Kristen (center) with two new friends at Quiet Heroes

“Once we got through the introductions, our conversation around the table was very meaningful,” Kristen said. “It was a place where I felt understood, and we were able to offer validation, support, and encouragement to each other. This was the first place where I felt completely comfortable sharing my journey.”

Kristen admits that she was a little hesitant to go since she didn’t know anyone who would be there. But she found a quick and solid connection very quickly.

“To that mom who might be worried about going, I would encourage her to take that step and attend,” Kristen said. “You will be surrounded by like-minded ladies and will build bonds quickly. I am so glad I went and look forward to this year’s event.”

Quiet Heroes is a special place of rest like no other – and not just for the moms of children with cancer. This luncheon is the perfect time to share a relaxing and inspirational afternoon featuring radio host and Quiet Hero Jenn Hobby as emcee, keynote message by comedian, life lover, and inspirational speaker Derrick Tennant, and a special performance by American Idol season 12 winner Candice Glover and the SCAD HoneyBees.

Make plans to attend the Quiet Heroes luncheon on Saturday, March 25, at Flourish Atlanta. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit quietheroes.org.

LEARN MORE ABOUT QUIET HEROES

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Lorelai and Precision Medicine

You are the reason a child is alive!

When Lorelai couldn’t perform tasks typical for a four-month-old, like rolling over or holding her head up, her parents became very concerned. They took her to the hospital, and a CT scan showed an enormous tumor on her brain. Lorelai had a high-grade glioma, a fast-growing tumor that spreads quickly and has a dire prognosis.

Despite risky surgery and six months of toxic chemotherapy, the tumor continued to grow.

Because traditional treatments were failing her, Lorelai’s doctors turned to CURE’s donor-funded Precision Medicine Program for answers. A sample of her tumor was sent for genetic analysis, and a specific mutation was identified. Fortunately, a drug exists that targets this mutation and stops tumor growth.

The results saved her life.

After two months of this new therapy, the residual tumor drastically reduced in size. Lorelai is now progressing in her age-related milestones, and with physical therapy, she is developing as she should. Her mother, Kathryn, said:

“This drug has been revolutionary for us.
It is essentially why my child is alive today.”

Your generosity to CURE gave Lorelai a most precious gift – the gift of life. This holiday season, you can give kids with cancer a gift more valuable than any toy —their best chance to beat their disease.

Please give today to bring us one step closer to a world without childhood cancer.

DONATE

What Is Precision Medicine?

Every child is unique. Thanks to your support, their cancer treatments can be too.

Our focus on advancing the use of precision medicine to treat children with cancer launched in 2017 and has been our highest priority since then, with a total investment of $10 million.

An easy way to understand precision medicine is to think of it as “personalized medicine.” Although we know that every child is unique, today’s childhood cancer treatment does not take into account the genetic differences of each child. Rather, a child’s cancer is treated according to disease type. But often, children with the same type of cancer respond differently to the same treatment. A chemotherapy which is effective for some may fail altogether for others because of the genetic differences at play. That is where personalized medicine comes in.

The vision of precision medicine is to provide personalized, non-toxic, and curative therapy for all children with cancer by genetically mapping a child’s tumor and targeting the problem mutations. To achieve this aim, genetic testing seeks to identify targets that allow doctors to create individualized treatments to destroy the mutated cells.

Since our focus on precision medicine began, 85% of the children who received genetic mapping with CURE’s funding found their treatments impacted by the information obtained. But the impact of precision medicine goes well beyond the child’s cancer treatment. Genetic testing can change a diagnosis or reveal a genetic predisposition to cancer that can affect a family for generations.

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Myles and Precision Medicine

When was the last time you were responsible for a miracle?

Thanks to you, Myles got one last spring.

When Myles began experiencing overwhelming headaches and erratic, unusual behavior, his parents took him in for a CT scan. They were devastated to learn that Myles had a high-grade glioma – a brain tumor with a very poor prognosis. Current treatment for this cancer type includes multiple rounds of radiation combined with toxic chemotherapies, which often cause debilitating long-term side effects.

But genetic analysis through CURE’s donor-funded Precision Medicine Program proved that Myles’ tumor wasn’t a high-grade glioma at all. Instead, it was a type of tumor for which there is a pill known to effectively inhibit growth. Since he began taking the pill, the tumor has shrunk by 40%, and Myles has experienced zero side effects. He’s even playing basketball again!

“Precision medicine took us from a terrible diagnosis to a manageable treatment with no side effects. It was truly a miracle.”

– Melissa, Myles’ mom

Myles’ miracle happened because of you and your support of CURE’s research efforts. Until precision medicine becomes the standard of care for all children, more kids facing childhood cancer are counting on you for their miracle to find effective treatments without life-altering side effects.

Please give today to bring us one step closer to a world without childhood cancer.

DONATE

What Is Precision Medicine?

Every child is unique. Thanks to your support, their cancer treatments can be too.

Our focus on advancing the use of precision medicine to treat children with cancer launched in 2017 and has been our highest priority since then, with a total investment of $10 million.

Mark Myers In Childhood Cancer, CURE Childhood Cancer

10 Ways to Help Children Fighting Cancer During the Holidays

The holidays are a time of generosity and goodwill. As you can imagine, trying to celebrate the holidays while managing their fight against childhood cancer can be overwhelming. During this season of giving, there are simple ways you can make the season a little brighter for children fighting cancer and their families.

Many families must travel long distances for treatment – often multiple times a week. To help defray some of the cost, CURE provides gas cards in $50 increments to places like QT, Racetrack, Kroger, and Walmart.

Get your company, friends, neighbors, or church together to begin a project by assembling meal bags, snack bags, toiletry bags, or boredom buster bags. These are critical to families who have long or unexpected hospital stays. Click HERE for more information and examples. Our supplies of each vary, so please email Lisa Odendahl at [email protected] before starting your project to find the greatest area of need.

A recent study indicates that 20-25% of children experience food insecurity during their cancer treatment, and this insecurity can lead to poorer outcomes. Your company or organization can make a difference and provide a meal to children with cancer and their families through CURE’s Open Arms Meal Program. These meals help alleviate the stress and cost of meals for family members during hospital stays while meeting nutritional needs. Click HERE to learn more about sponsoring a meal.

If you have a favorite restaurant and business, encourage them to host a percentage night during the holiday where a portion of the proceeds from your purchase will benefit CURE.

5. Start a Holiday Facebook Fundraiser. This is a great way to share our cause with your friends and family while raising essential funds to help. Click HERE to set yours up.

Visit the CURE Store. We’ve got several products to fend off the cold, like our zip-up sweatshirt and the CURE / Love Your Melon beanie. By buying and wearing CURE products, you are helping us to conquer childhood cancer while sharing the mission at the same time. Shop Now!

Host your own hot chocolate stand, chili cookoff, or other events in your neighborhood. The sky is the limit to what you can do. You can do it all yourself or use our handy DIY Fundraising site! Click HERE to get started.

If you like to exercise, encourage the owner of your gym or fitness studio to host a “give-back holiday class” where the proceeds raised for the class go towards our mission.

Your school or business can host an “ugly sweater fundraiser day” where students, teachers, or colleagues donate $1 or $5 to wear their sweaters that day. You could even make it a competition between grades or departments!

Host a neighborhood movie night with classic holiday movies like Elf, It’s a Wonderful Life, or A Christmas Story. There’s no shortage of holiday music and movies to listen to and watch. Your friend’s ticket to attend is a donation to CURE.

Of course, these are just some of the things you can do for children with cancer and their families. Your only limit is your imagination! If you need any help or direction, please reach out – we would love to talk to you. Please email Kristen Rudio at [email protected].

Mark Myers In Childhood Cancer, Children, Named Funds

A Million Reasons to Hope

Lake, Mary Elizabeth, and Melissa met while fighting acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Although they were different ages, they formed a unique and special bond. So did their families. The three fought the disease bravely, but each ultimately passed away just months apart. As their families grieved their loss, their shared tragedy strengthened the bond between them.

The Paris, Thompson, and Depa families

Melissa’s family already had a Named Fund with CURE Childhood Cancer aimed at advancing research into cures for AML. They invited Lake and Mary Elizabeth’s families to join them and changed the name of the fund from the Melissa Strong Fund to United for a CURE. They were, in fact, united in their hope for better outcomes for children forced to fight AML in the future. And they worked hard to raise money by selling gold bows and garden flags, washing cars, hosting golf tournaments, and creating carnivals, among other things. Their shared sweat and tears have now taken their fundraising efforts across the $1,000,000 mark, and the investment in research is becoming a source of hope for children with AML.

United for a CURE began funding Target Pediatric AML, which is the work of Dr. Soheil Meschinchi at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Through genetic testing, Target Pediatric AML’s aim is to identify common genetic changes in children with AML and target those mutations with existing drugs delivered in the right combinations.

“This is all about understanding the enemy at a deeper level and finding ways to apply that knowledge to destroy it,” said Julie Guillot, childhood cancer advocate and co-founder of Target Pediatric AML. “The data we’ve been able to build since the project started is like a snowball getting bigger as it rolls downhill. CURE and United for a CURE were the project’s largest private funders, and it is now a large international clinical trial that will benefit children and adults worldwide. Those three children really set the snowball on its way.”

Sophia

Recently, Dr. Meschinchi made a discovery that exemplifies the hope that the collection of this data can provide. There is an AML subtype that only occurs in infants and toddlers and has a very poor prognosis. As he poured over the data acquired on this subtype, Dr. Meschinchi noticed a cell cluster and drilled into it to find what was over-expressed in the cell. As he looked more into that cell cluster, he realized the same cluster exists in certain types of ovarian cancer. Fortunately, a drug is currently in clinical trials that is proving very effective against the form of ovarian cancer with the cell cluster.

This proved a timely discovery for a little girl named Sophia, who was fighting this particular AML subtype. In January, Sophia’s cancer elevated to 95% in her bone marrow – meaning that she only had 5% marrow in her bones. The rest was cancer! Dr. Meschinchi was able to get approval from the FDA and pharmaceutical manufacturer to give the ovarian cancer drug to Sophia. After only two infusions, the cancer cells in her marrow were reduced from 95% to only 1%. With her bone marrow nearly free of cancer, she was able to receive a bone marrow transplant at the end of April. Today, she is cancer-free.

Love for Lake, Mary Elizabeth, and Melissa led their families to raise money in the hope of finding a cure, and now a little girl is in remission because of their effort. And that hope is building as discoveries continue to grow.

“This project is searching for individual therapies for every child to improve their chance of survival,” said Joe Depa, Melissa’s father. “It’s too late for Lake, Mary Elizabeth, and Melissa. But we hope someday their names are attached to a cure for AML so that other children win their fight.”

Mark Myers In Research

2022 Research Grants

CURE CHILDHOOD CANCER PROUDLY ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $4.7 MILLION IN RESEARCH GRANTS

Research is the key to ensuring children with cancer have the opportunity to thrive long beyond diagnosis. CURE’s research priorities are two-fold. First, we prioritize research that will lead to more effective treatments for children within two to three years. We also prioritize research aimed at solving recurrent and hard-to-treat cancers for which no effective treatment exists. Precision medicine, gene-based therapy, continues to be our highest priority, as we believe this approach to treatment shows extraordinary promise.

In response to CURE’s request for proposals, we received dozens of studies seeking funding. Expert oncologists and academic researchers reviewed and scored each proposal using the same process employed by the National Institutes of Health. Their scores and critiques guided CURE’s board, ensuring we invest funds in the most strategic and prudent fashion.

We are proud to share that our 2022 research grants are focused almost entirely on helping children facing the toughest diagnoses – high-grade brain tumors, aggressive leukemias and solid tumors, and metastatic disease. These 18 grants awarded to top scientists at leading pediatric cancer research institutions across the nation total more than $4.7 million, CURE’s highest disbursement in a single grant cycle in our 47 year history.

“We are so pleased and proud that CURE is providing such a high level of support to very promising research this year,” said Kristin Connor, CEO of CURE Childhood Cancer. “We are urgently focused on getting new treatments to those children with high-risk, difficult-to-treat cancers that currently lack effective treatments. Virtually all our grants this year are aimed at doing that, which gives me so much hope for these children.”

The grant includes funding for these difficult to treat cancers:

5 High-risk blood cancer studies (3 AML, 2 B-cell ALL)
7 High-grade brain tumor studies (3 DIPG, 1 high grade glioma, 3 medulloblastoma)
2 High-risk solid tumor studies (neuroblastoma and Ewing sarcoma)

In an effort to ensure the best and brightest young minds are trained to care for children with cancer and advance research, we also proudly announce our funding of the fellowship training of three pediatric oncology fellows at Emory University’s School of Medicine: Dr. Frank Chien, Dr. Robert Lisac (Sam Robb Fellow), and Dr. Sanyu Janardan (Connolly Family Fellow).

Our 2022 Pediatric Cancer Research Initiative includes the following studies:

Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

Aflac Precision Medicine Program

Robert Castellino, MD
Combined molecular targeting to enhance therapy for group 3 medulloblastoma

Tobey MacDonald, MD
Clinical investigation of cluster-wells in pediatric brain tumors

Christopher Porter, MD
Targeting mechanisms of T cell suppression mediated by Siglec15

Sunil Sudhir Raikar, MD
Optimizing gamma delta T-cell immunotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia

Renee Read, PhD
Human organoid models of pediatric high-grade gliomas

Muxiang Zhou, MD
Feasibility study of VERU-111 for precision treatment of pediatric AML

Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope

Ling Li , PhD
Targeting PRMT1 elicits anti-tumor immunity in childhood leukemia

Qiang Lu, PhD
Developing inhibitors of mitotic kinesin KIF20A for brain tumor treatment

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Michael Chorny, PhD
Macromolecular prodrug-based therapy for indolent neuroblastoma

Timothy Olson, MD, PhD
Targeting niche inflammation and MSC cell fate in monosomy 7 predisposition

Vinodh Pillai, MD, PhD
Assessment of bone marrow to predict response to CAR T-cell therapy

Indiana University

Jignesh Tailor, PhD
Discovery of synthetic lethal targets in MYCN neuroepithelial stem cells

Seattle Children’s Hospital

Elizabeth Lawlor, MD, PhD
Optimizing safety and efficacy of anthracyclines in Ewing sarcoma

University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital

John Letterio, MD
Development of a CNS-penetrant synthetic oleanane triterpenoid for DIPG

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Raushan Kurmasheva, PhD
PEGylated talazoparib for pediatric malignant rhabdoid tumor therapy

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Jia-Ray Yu, PhD
Pharmacological screening of a new class of NSD1 inhibitor

Washington University in St. Louis

Jason Weber, PhD
Development of p14ARF-based therapies to treat CDKN2A-deficient pediatric cancers

Mark Myers In Uncategorized

Claire’s Crew

In September 2020, Claire woke up one day complaining of leg pain. Her mother, Kathleen, noticed a sizable bump on her upper thigh and took her to their pediatrician, who determined it to be an infection. After ten days of antibiotics did nothing to reduce the size of the bump, Claire was taken for an ultrasound.

“I knew right away that something wasn’t right,” said Kathleen. “After the scan, the ultrasound technician immediately went out of the room and talked to the radiologist.”

A follow-up CT scan revealed that Kathleen was right. Claire was scheduled for immediate surgery, after which they would learn that the bump was cancer. The makeup of the tumor was consistent with b-cell lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma. Fortunately, her bone marrow came back clean.

“Claire was lucky because we caught it very early,” shared Kathleen. “After testing on the lymph nodes, it showed her cancer to be lymphoma and not leukemia. But because it is very rare for a four-year-old child to get lymphoma and her disease is presenting like leukemia, we are doing the standard treatment for leukemia.”

The good news is that the change in diagnosis meant that Claire’s cancer was considered low risk.

Claire has responded very well to the chemotherapy. She has little nausea and is able to continue doing the things she loves – riding horses, dancing, and playing with her little brother. She also has been able to go to school, which makes her very happy. Claire should be done with her treatment in November.

Claire’s family has received tremendous support from their Dunwoody community. During September’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Claire’s Crew held a walk to raise money for childhood cancer research. It was a very festive atmosphere with popsicles, bubbles, and lots of fun activities for the kids. The afternoon also raised $10,000 to fight childhood cancer!

“I can’t help her with the medical stuff,” said Kathleen. “But I have to do something. It is so important that we fund research that will lead to a cure for these kids. Claire was one of the lucky ones. When we are at the hospital, I look around and see the other kids, and my heart breaks for them.”

Though Claire will be done with her fight later this year, Claire’s Crew isn’t finished fighting for other kids with cancer. Kathleen and her family are planning a big event for 2023 and hope to raise even more than before.

We are thankful that Claire is doing so well. We are also grateful to join Claire’s Crew to fund research that will lead to better cures for kids with cancer.

Mark Myers In Childhood Cancer, Children

Shelby’s Mission

When Shelby Howerton was three years old, she dressed as her favorite princess for Halloween. While Cinderella didn’t stay out until the stroke of midnight, she did come home with very sore legs. Her parents assumed she had shin splints because of all the walking she did to collect candy. But her legs continued to hurt long after Halloween. When she developed a persistent fever, her mother took her to the emergency room, where she was diagnosed with leukemia.

At the time, the standard treatment for leukemia lasted three years. Shelby’s doctors decided she was a good fit for a clinical trial that was shorter but more intense. She was supposed to finish in two years. But she contracted parvovirus when she was immunocompromised, which extended her treatment by six months. The trial worked, and she has been cancer-free ever since.

Shelby and her twin brother, Caleb

Today Shelby is healthy and happy. She can run a mile in under six minutes, and later this month, she will graduate from Milton High School. But she never forgot the days she fought cancer. In fact, that experience has shaped her in many ways.

When she was in middle school, her sister, Faith, started a CURE Club at Milton High School. She also became very active in the Health Occupational Students of America (HOSA) club. Faith was instrumental in the club’s push to collect toys and toiletry items for children currently battling cancer. When Faith graduated, Shelby stepped right in and continued the effort.

“We start collecting after winter break and continue until the semester ends,” Shelby explained. “Then I bring everything to CURE on Christmas Eve. Raising awareness for childhood cancer and bringing in donations is the absolute least I can do to help children with cancer.”

Shelby has plans to do much more. After graduation, she will begin her studies at Georgia Tech in the fall, majoring in neuroscience. Her goal is to become a pediatric oncologist, just like the doctors who treated her.

“Whenever I thought about a career path, my head jumped immediately to being in the hospital,” Shelby said. “There is a difference between telling your story and doing something about it. I feel like I need to do something to help kids.”

Shelby has already done so much. She has already handed off the leadership of the CURE Club at Milton High School to a new officer. Not surprisingly, she made sure to get a commitment that the toy donations will continue after she is gone.

Congratulations, Shelby. We appreciate how much you’ve done to encourage children with cancer, and we look forward to seeing all you do to care for them in the future.

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