CureSearch Annual Report 8
about children’s cancer and National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day. Soon families from across the country were selling Beat Cancer T-shirts in their school colors for local university football games as well.
More than $20,000 was donated to CureSearch for Children’s Cancer from T-shirt sales during September, 2009. These types of activities are the catalyst that allows CureSearch to turn dollars raised into research and treatment for children living with cancer.
NASCAR Driver Jeff Gordon Takes on Children’s Cancer
Go Team Nic!
On September 12, 2009, after a rapid decline of his health over three weeks, we took our then three-year old son, Nicholas, to the Emergency Room at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC. We never expected to be told that Nic had brain cancer. To compound matters, the cancer had spread down the entire length of his spinal column and infected his spinal fluid. The tumor was inoperable because of its location.
Our world turned upside down. The thing that scared us the most was whether or not we would be given an opportunity to try to save his life. We did not know if the doctors would even be willing to try since the cancer was so advanced. These fears were alleviated when the oncologist handed us a treatment plan that answered our concerns. We were in the right place. CureSearch is the reason a treatment was available so quickly for our son.
When Nic was first diagnosed, we had no idea if he would live through three days in the ICU let alone be here today. Not only is he here, he’s walking, laughing, smiling, talking, playing, and eating on his own. He is in a special education program and continues treatments to achieve a cure. He is an amazing testament to the human spirit and an inspiration to us all.
Jeff Gordon visits children with cancer at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.
In 2009, four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Jeff Gordon announced that his Foundation would provide $190,000 to CureSearch for the Children’s Oncology Group’s long-term follow-up study of pediatric cancer patients.
This multi-disciplinary collaboration connects expertise from epidemiologists at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine with researchers in the Children’s Oncology Group, which is important because medications and therapies used in cancer treatment can impact a person’s body long after they stop being administered. Studying how patients fare in the long-term provides critical information which can be used to adjust medications in newly diagnosed patients in an attempt to reduce any negative long-term effects. In addition, studying patients’ quality of life in the years after they recover from cancer provides important psycho-social data about challenges patients face throughout their lives.
And not that long ago, our family, along with Nic, had such a good time at The CureSearch Walk. What a treat for Nic to be honored at the ceremony – alongside other survivors. We can’t wait to do it again next year! Go Team NIC!
Leenadria Ubannwa
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16