This Thursday, I’m going BALD with St. Baldrick’s to raise money for childhood cancer research! I’m sure my friends and family will have some strong reactions to my shaved head - and I’m hoping some of those strong reactions turn into commitments to join me in supporting a cause that’s become really dear to me.

Over the past year, as I’ve studied childhood cancer in medical school, read about the history of the disease, and analyzed therapeutic solutions in development, I’ve realized why it is so difficult to treat childhood cancers. Kids are naturally growing at rapid rates, and cancer hijacks those rapidly multiplying cells easily. We end up treating these aggressive cancers with brutal drugs that even adults struggle to tolerate, leaving kids with severe side effects from the drug’s toxicity. These along with a variety of other factors are why more children are lost to cancer in the U.S. than any other disease—in fact, more than many other childhood diseases combined.

Nothing will ever take away the pain of losing a child, but I really do believe there is hope on the horizon. In the past five years, there have been significant advancements in genomics, immunology, and oncology that are pointing to major breakthroughs in the near future. I would love to talk to you about these new developments but most of all I’m hoping that together, we can accelerate the pace of research and open up a new era for childhood cancer therapy.