Blog

Chasing Away Childhood Cancer

The Importance of Childhood Cancer Research

Chase after a Cure (CAAC) was founded in 2009 by Whitney Ringler. As a mother of a former childhood cancer patient, Ringler started this non-profit organization to fund research and raise awareness for alternative and more effective treatments for children with cancer. “Supporting medical research, specifically childhood cancer research, is extremely important as it can result in extending the life of a child with cancer,” states CAAC executive director, Adam White. “It is also vital to keep searching for less invasive and toxic treatment plans for these children. With an anticipated population of 500,000 childhood cancer survivors by 2020, of which 95% will experience secondary and long-term side effects, it is paramount to do better. And we can only do better with more effective treatment options that are discovered in the research lab. When there are 12 types of childhood cancer, some with a 0% chance of survival, we as a society have not done enough for children fighting cancer. We have to fund research to find a cure for each and every one of these children. All children deserve a chance to live!”

Through the donations from our supporters, we are able to provide funding to the only childhood cancer research lab in the state of South Carolina, operated by MUSC’s own Dr. Jacqueline Kraveka. With our support, Dr. Kraveka has accomplished several feats. Kraveka recently co-led a groundbreaking study that found that applying oral therapy with DFMO increases the survival rate of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma and decreases their chances of relapse. DFMO works by targeting specific cancer stem cell pathways and “turning off” the cells, which in turn prevents the cancer from growing back. The results from this study are very promising for those diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma.

Throughout the years, CAAC has continued to provide funding to Dr. Kraveka’s childhood cancer research. Your support has provided over half a million dollars to her lab and enabled great strides to be made in the fight against childhood cancer. Because of you, a seed for research was planted and continues to grow and blossom. Here at CAAC, we would like to remind you of our inaugural annual campaign, aimed at funding research and moving our mission forward. Our goal is to raise $75,000 by the end of year. We are asking you to consider a gift that is meaningful to you to help CAAC reach its goal in 2016.