Feb 15 is International Childhood Cancer Day
February 15 is International Childhood Cancer Day throughout the world. 80% of children in countries, like the U.S., survive childhood cancer. In developing countries???
About 150,000 new cases per year.
Survival rate 10-20%.
At least 50% of these children could be cured with standard therapy generic drugs.
The key problems are:
- lack of awareness of curability;
- too little expertise and resources
- lack of access to treatmentChild morality from cancer in developing countries is increasing!
SOURCE: World Child Cancer UK
2017 Employee Giving
Richmond has a lot of businesses who have a lot of heart. In November and December, the clothing store, Ashby in Carytown, donated a percentage of their sales to Connor's Heroes. Employees of the wonderful ad firm, The Martin Agency, give regularly to us through an employee giving program. Last month, these two ladies showed up with three boxes full of toys, games and gift cards - donations collected by Markel Corporation. These businesses gave well over $1,000 in donations for our brave families. What a wonderful way to start the year. If your company values helping the community, our website has suggestions as to how you can help a child with cancer.
Special Cards
Each of these beautiful cards was hand-crafted by Anne Fledderman. I love the heartfelt messages that Anne created so beautifully. Each card is a smile for a family. Erin and Carolyn will mail the cards to our families as they celebrate special occasions like a birthday, day of remembrance, or day zero. This project is a great example of how you can easily make a difference in the lives of children with cancer. If you feel inspired to volunteer, go to our volunteer site for more project ideas.
Research Funding
Connor's Heroes has come a long way since 2008 (just look at how much Connor has grown). A few months ago, Connor's Heroes presented a check to our friends at VCU Massey Cancer Center for $100,000! We donated it to the Connor's Heroes Pediatric Cancer Research Fund and the Jamie Hess Bone Marrow Transplant fund. With this funding, we will ensure that Dr. Seth Corey has the resources needed to continue finding cures. You made this possible by giving in support of Connor's Heroes. Thank you.
Lunch!
In January, we started a new program for the families in clinic. We invited them to lunch! We can offer this program thanks to the generosity of people who want to help children with cancer. Lisa (and her daughter Emily) brought sandwiches, salad, chips and dessert for the families, staff and visitors in clinic that day. Erin carried in two large carafes of freshly brewed coffee, too! We had volunteers in the waiting room doing crafts with the kids. This is the first of many surprises for our hero families that is coming in 2017. Connor's Heroes has bold initiatives that will double the financial support given to families. Stay tuned!
A Conversation with Dr. Corey
About once a month, I sit down with the doctor who is leading the pediatric cancer research work that you are helping to make possible. Every day with your support, Dr. Seth Corey and his team seek more effective, less toxic treatments for childhood cancer. In the process, they’re helping to shape Richmond into one of the top pediatric cancer research centers in the country.
Connor’s Heroes wrapped up 2016 with a $100,000 donation to support Dr. Corey’s work at VCU Massey Cancer Center, and that donation is just the beginning. We’re committed to helping Dr. Corey and his team lead the way in treating and curing pediatric cancer.
To kick-off the new year, I’d like to re-introduce you to Dr. Corey and share parts of recent conversations regarding “our” amazing work. (Dr. Corey’s bio, along with background on the fund that helped bring him here, appears at the end of this article.) — Lisa Goodwin, Co-founder, Managing Director, Connor’s Heroes
Lisa: Dr. Corey, who is passionate about his work, explains why this work is so important to all of us.
Dr. Corey: You’ve heard me say this before: the children we're treating can't afford to wait years for a breakthrough. Their families are impatient, and I'm impatient, too. From bench to bedside, I see research having a real impact on these children and their families. We need to push it as far as we can, every day.
Here’s a great example. A decade ago, children treated for acute promyelocytic leukemia experienced typical reactions such as long hospitalizations, fevers, mouth sores, hair loss, nausea, and vomiting. More recently, research has introduced new drugs that produce fewer side effects, but are more effective and can be done as an out-patient!
That’s only part of the solution. After being cured of cancer, a child may grow up with long-term side effects and a lifetime of health problems, such as learning disabilities, organ damage, or infertility problems. That’s still today’s reality and it’s not acceptable.
Lisa: My friend Katie Tyson, whose seven-year-old son will wrap up three years of treatment in June, puts it perfectly: “Children need to do more than just live through treatment. We want to give them 70, 80, 90 years of quality life. We need to study kids!” Dr. Corey agrees.
Dr. Corey: We're working to bring new therapies and cutting-edge diagnostics to the children and adolescents of Virginia. And, we need to help kids today. Some of our work has a “short runway;” others have a longer one. The work that can produce more immediate results includes:
- Personalized medicine. This approach uses genetic information of the specific cancer to tailor treatments that are less toxic to the individual.
- Drug Repurposing. There are drugs that already exist and approved for use in non-cancer conditions. By using a drug already approved by the FDA, we know it will have minimal side-effects. Also, we need much less financial support to generate the evidence that it will work and can get a clinical trial started in months, not years.
The longer-term research includes our unique work with zebrafish. We have tanks of zebrafish, which lay hundreds of eggs at a time and develop in days. Some of the cancer-related gene sequences are 90 percent similar to humans. We use the fish to model pediatric leukemia and identify which genes contribute to leukemia. By identifying those genes, we can develop early detection tests and intervene more successfully.
Lisa: Dr. Corey’s vision is that Richmond gains a national reputation for cutting-edge pediatric cancer research.
Dr. Corey: The unique research we’re doing in Richmond will help kids here and all over the world. Research is about finding solutions, sharing them, and building on them. We have the facility. We just need to continue to build the funding to attract additional researchers. Connor’s Heroes is critical for us to bring cutting edge research here. We’re grateful for your incredible support.
Dr. Corey, Chief of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation and Program Co-leader in Cancer Molecular Genetics at VCU Massey Cancer Center, was recruited to Richmond from Northwestern University School of Medicine, where he held the endowed chair in pediatric cancer biology and chemotherapy. His credentials also include chief of pediatric leukemia and lymphoma at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He is an NIH-funded scientist in blood disease for almost three decades.
In 2007, Connor’s Heroes, through the support of our donors, created an endowment fund and established the Connor's Heroes Pediatric Cancer Research Fund, which led to the hiring of Dr. Seth Corey in 2015 to head up the work. Connor's Heroes also supports the Jamie Hess Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Research Fund. These are the only funds in Virginia that are directly supporting the research efforts of Dr. Corey and his team of scientists at VCU Massey Cancer Center.
Four Heroes in video
Jacquan, Christopher, Tayneise and Aida are in a new video that is getting national attention. The video is featured on the website of the McKesson Corporation,a Fortune 500 company for medical-surgical distribution. It is part of their #idelivercarefor campaign. The campaign features four nonprofits who help the cancer community. We are honored that McKesson chose Connor's Heroes. The local production company, Fuel, interviewed Jacquan, Christopher, Tayneise and Aida about their diagnosis and how Connor's Heroes helps their families.
You can help raise $1,000 for Connor's Heroes by being a part of #idelivercarefor campaign. If you are a caregiver or part of the medical profession, you should make a brief video with your phone on how you help your patients. If McKesson features your video, they will donate $1,000 in your honor to Connor's Heroes. We received our first $1,000 donation thanks to an area nurse, Afton.
Holiday Room Decoration
Jonathan started his bone marrow transplant in a room filled with his favorite superheroes, thanks to the creativity of our long-time volunteer, Jillian. We received word that Jonathan would begin a stem cell transplant right at the holidays. The day after Christmas, Jillian braved the post-holiday crowds and went to the store. She bought colorful decorations, comfy room decor, toys and games. She had only 24 hours to get the room ready for his admission. She worked at a superhero speed and finished in time. What a wonderful surprise for Jonathan and his family. We are thinking of Jonathan as he goes through his transplant to treat Neuroblastoma. And of course, we thank Jillian for making Jonathan and his family feel special.
If you are inspired to help a child with cancer in Central Virginia, start by filling out a volunteer application: https://www.connorsheroes.org/get-involved
Kids Helping Kids
Our Parent Tote bags will have a sweet treat thanks to the generosity of an area girl scout troop. Troop 4613 held three booster sales at neighborhood businesses. Customers purchased 100 boxes of nuts and chocolate which the troop then donated to back to Connor's Heroes. Each bag of nuts is a perfect salty, sweet snack for the long days waiting in the hospital. Do you have a scout troop who wants to help their fellow kids who are battling cancer? Connor's Heroes website has great ideas for day-long service projects.
A Holiday Memory
You know what you give a family helped by Connor's Heroes? You give them a wonderful memory for the holidays. Connor's Heroes arranged for a charter bus to take families on a tour of the area's incredible holiday lights. For our hero families, this was their one chance for festive fun in between doctor appointments, unexpected illnesses and hospital stays. The whole family came, even sweet month-old baby brothers and sisters, 40 people in all. Your gifts, along with a grant from the Richmond Christmas Mother and the Altria Companies Employee Community Fund, allowed us to give everyone a catered dinner and a warm, dry bus from which to watch the dazzling lights. A special moment was singing happy birthday to our brave hero, Thomas, who passed away in April. His grandmother donated cupcakes so we could celebrate his holiday birthday with his childhood cancer friends.
You can continue to make sure a family of a child with cancer doesn't miss having memories that mean so much to your family. The gift you make to Connor's Heroes now allows us to plan our programs in 2017. You will make sure no family faces their child's cancer alone.