Why We Fight

We’re united in our mission to defeat childhood cancer by fighting it in ways the current healthcare system cannot. These are stories of the warriors we’re in this fight for.

JOIN THE FIGHT

Why We Fight

We’re united in our mission to defeat childhood cancer by fighting it in ways the current healthcare system cannot. These are stories of the warriors we’re in this fight for.

JOIN THE FIGHT

Stories of Hope, Progress, and Inspiration

Hear from the teams, partners, and families that make up the Beat Childhood Cancer allegiance.

Cancer Therapies are Not Like Shoes

Fighting back against the “one-size-fits-all” approach to pediatric cancer treatment.

iwilfin™ - Beat Childhood Cancer

Imagine if we discovered there was a medicine that already exists that could help kids beat childhood cancer.

DFMO 50% Statistics

DFMO is a drug pending approval with the FDA for kids with neuroblastoma - an extraordinarily deadly cancer. DFMO is a very well-tolerated drug, a testament to its safety. But here's the game-changer: it slashes the risk of relapse by 50%.

IWILFIN™ Approval

Beat Childhood Cancer helped to fund a small group of doctors and researchers who discovered that an existing drug called DFMO could be used to save the lives of children who have had a rare and deadly cancer called Neuroblastoma. DFMO is now known as IWILFIN following approval by the FDA to use the drug as ‘maintenance therapy’ following standard of care treatments.

Heartland

Many of you know Sarah Bartosz. For over a decade she has been a force for hope in the childhood cancer world. Her life is a bold one, and she has much to share here. Take a breath and a moment to watch.

The Story Behind G9

The story and vision behind the Gold in September (G9) movement started by the Bartosz family.

THUNDER RUN

Peter Halper is convinced the bravest thing a person can do in life is to choose to continue to love in the face of unimaginable heartbreak, suffering, and hardship. Attending the funeral of his 3-year-old grand niece Emery who was lost to childhood cancer, Peter asked, "what can I do to help?” In 2020 with the help of many people, Peter ran across the USA. 3,100 miles. More than a marathon a day for 114 days.

Beating Ewing Sarcoma

Team Parker for Life

Patient & Family Stories

Caroline

The Lantz family lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where Caroline is beating neuroblastoma at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, on one of the Beat Childhood Cancer clinical trials.

Caroline's Story

Ezra

Ezra loved trains, Elmo, and dancing. He laughed and smiled often through his cancer treatment, diagnosed on the 400th day of his life with stage 4 neuroblastoma. Because of Ezra, we are better.

Ezra's Story

Jack

Jack was 4 years old when he was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma in 2005, and battled cancer nearly 7 years, before finding his ultimate cure in Heaven in 2012.

jack's Story

Parker

Parker is from San Diego, CA and was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in 2013. His family started a nonprofit called Team Parker for Life and has helped to fund the Beat Childhood Cancer clinical trial Parker completed. Today, Parker is cancer-free.

Parker's Story

Davey June

Davey June was diagnosed with Stage IV neuroblastoma in 2021 at just 17 months old. She has been cancer free for over two years now and in those two years, too many children have been diagnosed or lost to childhood cancer. Davey June’s family resolves to continue the battle until every child, everywhere can one day live without cancer.

DAVEY's Story

Scarlett

Scarlett beat childhood cancer. It took a community, it took prayers, it took hope. Remarkable things are possible when we come together. Scarlett’s family is determined to help other families beat childhood cancer.

Scarlett's Story

Will

Will was just a baby when doctors diagnosed a rare form of cancer and told his family there was only one end. Nobody then could imagine the journey ahead, from hospital rooms to board rooms, research labs to government offices, a furious race between hope and death.

WILL's Story

Children with cancer can’t wait.

The current pediatric healthcare system is slow, isolated, and fragmented.

A more tailored, compassionate, and transparent approach to treating pediatric cancer is desperately needed. That's why Beat Childhood Cancer is vigilantly creating solutions that break down silos and build up hope for every child, everywhere.

We will never give up

All too often, hope is just a word tossed around or a statement for encouragement. But at Beat Childhood Cancer, we believe our hope is our strength, our superpower, and our ultimate defense.

No parent should ever hear the words, "There's nothing else we can do. Go home and make your child comfortable." That's not acceptable. That will never be acceptable in our minds. If a child is alive, there must always be hope. Period. That's what we are fighting for.

DFMO is now approved!

On December 13, 2023, the FDA announced the approval of DFMO! Now named "IWILFIN", it is the first pediatric neuroblastoma drug to reduce the risk of relapse for pediatric neuroblastoma patients. This less toxic, life-saving drug will now be available to every child, everywhere!

Blogs from our team

Celebrating Motherhood

Today we celebrate motherhood. For some it is a day of great joy and happiness. For others – those who have lost a child, those who are longing to become a mother, or those missing a beloved mom – it is a bittersweet day.

Learn More