Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!
After nearly 7,000 miles, visits to 15 children’s hospitals, cancer centers, and childhood cancer research labs, I am overflowing with HOPE. Our visit today to Primary Children’s Hospital/Huntsman Cancer Institute in Utah was our final visit. Here, I had the unique opportunity to speak to a room filled with patients, hospital staff, and physicians. I want to thank Elaine Pollock and Dr. Josh Schiffman for their help and support to make this incredible day possible. Having this time to share my story and offer personal insights on how we can better help children fighting cancer makes my heart fill to the top. Being able to tour Dr. Josh’s lab, having him show me the research he is working on, and hearing his perspective on how we can stop childhood cancer by preventing it through genetic studies makes my heart leap to the point of skipping beats! I absolutely love how he believes research begins with the patient and then moves to the lab, rather than the other way around. I need to thank Alex’s Lemonade Stand for believing in the work he is doing– for the research grant they have provided for his studies. At the same time, I want to encourage other childhood cancer foundations, corporations, and individuals with bulging wallets to consider supporting his work.
Finally, I need to encourage people who truly care about stopping childhood cancer to give as generously as they can. Research costs money– plain and simple. Research like Dr. Josh is doing will cure childhood cancer by preventing it in the first place.
What a remarkable goal.
Let’s believe. Let’s give.
It’s all about loving the children. As the sign outside Primary Children’s states boldly…
“The Child First and Always”
Melinda Marchiano 
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