A Childhood Cancer Survivor Blogging about the World of Childhood Cancer

Posts tagged ‘Texas Children’s Hospital’

Got YOU SeniorMadness!

Grace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

SeniorMadness is trying its best to keep me far from the Land of Blogging for Childhood Cancer. Whenever a week goes by without writing a post, I feel badly because I know that childhood cancer continues its destruction.  With everything in me, I need to do all I can to stop it. 200 children around the globe are going to die today, and 600 more are going to get diagnosed.  I refuse to allow SeniorMadness to gobble my words.  I love sharing what others are doing, and I love sharing news about advances in research. 

Yesterday, I read this terrific news from St. Baldrick’s:

St. Baldrick’s announces more than $5.1 million grant to the Children’s Oncology Group! For the first time, this year’s grant will also help COG member institutions open four specific high-impact clinical trials which they might otherwise not be able to offer their patients.

http://www.stbaldricks.org/media-and-photos/media-stories/view/headline/title/St.%20Baldrick%E2%80%99s%20Foundation%20Announces%20$5,140,000%20Grant%20to%20the%20Children%E2%80%99s%20Oncology%20Group/id/1559

Clinical trials are the breeding ground for hope for a cure for cancer. While sharing about St. Baldrick’s, I also need to mention and thank the 46 Mommas for their tireless support for St. Baldrick’s. 

Speaking of research, news from Kids Cancer Research Foundation today is about T-Cells.

T-Cell therapy involves taking out the child’s T-Cells, making them stronger, and linking them to a mouse antibody that is then injected back into the child to target the Neuroblastoma (NB) cells.

The T-Cells are natural killer cells, kind of like Pac Men. The mouse antibody portion of the combination helps identify the NB cells, thereby brining the T-Cells to the Neuroblastoma cells to be killed.

Dr. Louis, from Texas Children’s Hospital/Gene Therapy at Baylor College, just published their T-Cell trial in the journal “Blood.” Out of 19 children in 2 groups, 8 children had no disease after frontline treatment. After 3 years, not one of the 8 relapsed. Frank Kalman, executive director of Kid’s Cancer Research Foundation, reports, “Numbers like this don’t exist in NB (neuroblastoma) research.”

Continuing on the subject of research, I want to tell you about a very fun activity coming up this weekend to help support CureSearch.  There is a very brave boy named Sy Sherman who has inspired his Aunt Rachel to “Kick It” into high gear to fight childhood cancer. If you live in the San Francisco Bay area, please check out this great event that will take place on Saturday, October 29th.

 http://www.kick-it.org/events/kicking-cancer

Finally, I want to share a petition. (You know how much I love sharing easy, clickable ways to be an advocate for childhood cancer!)

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/keep-kids-alive-allocate-more-funds-towards-childhood-cancer-research/8ZnnxNgw

Click, click… nice… way to go!!!

And you, SeniorMadness… hee hee, got you  this time!

You "Kick It" Sy!

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San Antonio Loves Their Children

Grace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

When Mom and I started out on our Hope Tour, we were excited about all of the unknowns we would be surprised with as we travel. First thing this morning, we walked from our San Antonio hotel to Christus Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital. On our way, we were delighted with a great surprise. Walking in front of us was a man with earphones that had to be playing, “Tell The World That Jesus Lives,” because he was singing it at the top of his lungs so everyone could hear. He was punching his arm in the air and loving life.

Yes. This man blessed our day with his faith; he sang with his whole heart, and it made no difference that it was off key!

The blessings continued as we met the Child Life Specialist, Jennifer, and saw the wonderful hospital. They have an amazing library with a lot of books for the kids and they even have computers in the library so families can stay in touch with loved ones by email. Another favorite part of the hospital was “The Cow.”  All of their Hem/Onc patients placed their handprints on The Cow. I don’t think the impact of that will ever go away. Even their emergency room was decorated with bright, lively colors and decorations that would make any sick child feel better in some way. I am so happy to have had the opportunity to see what San Antonio has done for their children. They must love them a lot! And Jennifer, I am very, very happy to meet you!

Jennifer and the Hem/Onc Cow with Precious Handprints

Before we took off for Houston, we walked to The Alamo. (Told you I didn’t think we could leave San Antonio without going!) Some people say that it’s just some old buildings, but there is so much more if you stop to feel and not just look. What I will remember is the room where the women and children survived as The Alamo fell. I looked into that room, and it wasn’t just an old room in an old building. Real people who lived and loved and died left a big impression on me today.

I made a couple of friends at the Alamo

 

To top off our day today, we met a very special man and his wife. Many of you know this lovable man from the videos he so carefully, kindly, and compassionately puts together for children fighting cancer. We met John Gavin and his wife, Linda! I will share with you that John is even more lovable in person, and Linda is just the same. What a beautiful gift John has given to many of us; I am grateful for his heart for children.

Mr. John Gavin and his wife Linda with hearts bigger than the size of Texas!

Tomorrow morning, we are off to Texas Children’s Hospital and MD Anderson…

 

 

HugoHopeMobile will be buzzing around Houston tomorrow!

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