CURE made significant strides in the first six months of the 2022-2023 fiscal year. December 31, 2022 marked the mid-way point and provides an opportune time to reflect on the impact of your support. Thanks to our generous donors, CURE has been able to provide critical resources and support to families affected by childhood cancer and advance life-saving research. This impact report serves as a testament to the incredible work that has been achieved so far and highlights the ongoing initiatives that will continue to make a difference in the lives of those affected by childhood cancer.
PATIENT AND FAMILY SERVICES IMPACT
Childhood cancer can create financial hardship for families due to the significant medical and nonmedical expenses that coincide with parental employment interruption or loss, which may result from the child’s care needs, medical emergencies, and hospitalization.
With staggering inflation in 2022 resulting in rapidly rising costs of goods and services, more families than ever looked to CURE for help making ends meet.
Your support enabled CURE to increase the funds available for financial assistance by 30% to better ensure our families could maintain stable housing, transportation, and other basic necessities.
CONSIDER HOW YOUR SUPPORT MADE A TANGIBLE IMPACT FOR A FAMILY OF A 15-MONTH-OLD WITH LEUKEMIA
This sweet child’s diagnosis has been emotionally and financially difficult for her family. The hospital where she receives treatment is located over two hours away from the family’s home, making it impossible for one of the parents to continue working. As a result, the family of 11 has become a single-income household, and the added transportation costs have made their financial situation even more challenging. Your generosity enabled CURE to provide substantial assistance with transportation costs, rent, and utility bills, helping to alleviate the strain.
CHILDREN WITH CANCER HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND LONG ENOUGH
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) was established to spearhead the global fight against cancer and has been a driving force behind scientific progress in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. However, despite its achievements, children with cancer have been left behind in terms of research funding. As shocking as it may seem, only 4% of the NCI’s research budget is dedicated to childhood cancers, resulting in a lack of progress in developing effective treatments for children with cancer. As a result, children with cancer are often left with outdated treatment options that have not advanced at the same rate as those for adults.
YOUR SUPPORT IS DRIVING THE MOST PROMISING RESEARCH
Research proposals are subjected to a thorough review process by a committee of experts. This competitive process ensures CURE funds only the best science.
Thanks to you, 17 cutting-edge research studies are in process, focused on developing new therapies for the hardest-to-treat childhood cancers. One such project is Dr. Michael Chorny’s novel drug precursor, which has the potential to transform the survival rate of adolescents with neuroblastoma, which currently stands at less than 5%.
Your generosity is helping to revolutionize the capabilities of precision medicine and expand access to genetic sequencing for children with high-risk tumors and those who do not respond to standard treatments. Your contributions are making a real difference in the lives of children like Lorelai, whose high-grade glioma was resistant to conventional treatments. However, thanks to gene sequencing, doctors were able to identify a specific mutation and prescribe a lung cancer drug that targets the mutation, impeding the tumor’s growth and offering hope for a better outcome.
Help us fund even more research and support more families.
