Childhood Cancer

Meet 2024 Ambassador Camden: A Legacy of Strength, Courage, and Resilience

by St. Baldrick's Foundation
February 1, 2024

Camden smiling from ear to ear, with the road in the background.

Camden and his smile.

#CammersTough is more than just a hashtag. It represents the story of a boy who fought cancer with incredible strength and courage. His story of resilience in the face of continued hardship is what made him an inspiration to others.

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Childhood Cancer

Meet 2024 Ambassador Sam: A Renaissance Man with a Heart for Others

by Sam Macarah
January 23, 2024

cancer warrior Sam playing the cello at home.

Sam playing the cello.

Twenty-year-old Sam is a Renaissance man – an accomplished musician, pilot, and philanthropist. He’s also a three-time shavee, childhood cancer survivor, and 2024 St. Baldrick’s Ambassador who is committed to making a difference in the lives of other kids with cancer.

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Advocacy

Meet 2024 Ambassador Scott: A Childhood Cancer Survivor and Burgeoning Advocate

by St. Baldrick's Foundation
January 17, 2024

cancer survivor Scott surrounded by the pill bottles he's gone through during treatment

Ambassador Scott and the many pill bottles he went through during treatment.

Scott is a cheerful, hardworking 15-year-old who enjoys football, hanging out with friends, and traveling. His acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) diagnosis at age 3 was a complete shock to his family, especially since he seemed healthy and never even had a sick visit to the pediatrician.

Since he was diagnosed as a toddler, he couldn’t fully understand that by the time he finished treatment 3 ½ years later, he would take more than 1,500 pills, have blood transfusions and countless spinal taps, unpleasant nebulized antibiotic treatments for immunosuppression, and spend more than half of his life on chemo.

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Childhood Cancer

Meet 2023 Ambassador Jaron: A YouTube Star with a Heart for Others

by St. Baldrick's Foundation
January 9, 2023

“Hi everybody! Welcome back to Jaron’s Toys.”

Jaron holding his dog, Chloe.

Jaron with his dog, Chloe.

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Research

Research Outcomes: Building Hope

by St. Baldrick's Foundation
November 15, 2022

This research is powered by you. This quarterly edition of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation Research Outcomes recognizes promising research to improve survival rates, provide holistic therapies, and translate adult drugs into pediatric trials.

Thank you for making research possible.

Lab equipment with text Research Outcomes

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Research

Using Precision Medicine to Improve Pediatric Cancer Treatment

by St. Baldrick's Foundation
November 1, 2022

EXCITING UPDATE November 1, 2022: The largest academic collaboration of its kind was announced last month, and it builds off this St. Baldrick’s supported work. The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will collaborate to transform and accelerate the identification of vulnerabilities in pediatric cancers and translate them into better treatments.

Dr. Stegmaier said, “The Pediatric Cancer Dependency Map provided our community with a treasure trove of new data. However, the next critical step was to validate candidate gene targets emerging from this project. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation Robert J Arceci Innovation Award provided the critical funding for us to demonstrate the power of the Pediatric Cancer Dependency Map. 

With St. Baldrick’s support, we validated new candidate therapeutic targets in childhood cancers, such as Ewing sarcoma and neuroblastoma, which have led to the launching of drug discovery efforts, and we have gained novel insights into the mechanistic underpinnings of these diseases.  We were able to show our community the power of the project. I think we are just at the tip of the iceberg.  We are all very excited about the promise of what is to come through this new large-scale collaboration.”

We are excited to see the impact this collaboration has in helping to conquer childhood cancer.

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Childhood Cancer

2022 Ambassador – Meet Natasha, St. Baldrick’s First International Ambassador

by St. Baldrick's Foundation
February 23, 2022

Meet Natasha, a 13-year-old from Uganda, and St. Baldrick’s first International Ambassador.

Natasha in her school uniform.Natasha in her school uniform.

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Childhood Cancer

2022 Ambassador: Meet Rocco – A 5-Year-Old Full of Love, Kindness, and Faith

by St. Baldrick's Foundation
February 7, 2022

His parents told him his blood was sick when he was diagnosed with cancer. Rocco said he was sad, but he wanted to get better so he could donate his blood to help other people. This unselfish kindness and compassion are rare qualities in a five-year-old. But this is Rocco.

Rocco in hospital bed.

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Real-Life Stories

The Top 2021 Messages Worth Remembering

by St. Baldrick's Foundation
December 16, 2021

As we close a difficult year, we reflect on lessons shared by childhood cancer patients and survivors who have faced adversity with grace, courage, and resilience. From their words, come some messages worth remembering now.

Sarah Swaim, age 31, two-time leukemia survivor & advocate

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation shares the top 2021 messages worth remembering. St. Baldrick’s Honored Kid, Sarah Swaim, and two-time leukemia survivor shares how having support during her cancer diagnosis helped her to keep going.

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Facts

What Is Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)?

by Benjamin Mizukawa, M.D.
September 3, 2021

What is acute myeloid leukemia?

Dr. Mizukawa is a past St. Baldrick’s Scholar. He explains acute myeloid leukemia symptoms, treatment, and research progress

What is acute myeloid leukemia (AML)?

Leukemia is cancer of the blood cells. Leukemia cells divide quickly and fail to mature into normal, functioning blood cells.

Acute leukemia progresses rapidly and is classified into two general subtypes:

  • When the cancer affects the lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, it is called acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL.
  • When the cancer affects other blood cell types, such as red blood cells, platelet-forming cells, and other types of white blood cells, it is called acute myeloid leukemia, or AML.

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