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Press Release

Childhood Cancer Research Fund Created in Memory of Cincinnati Child Continues Its Promise to Support Lifesaving Research


August 25, 2022
  • Press Release
  • For Immediate Release
  • Media Contact:
    • Traci Johnson
    • 951.966.7945
    • traci@stbaldricks.org

Childhood Cancer Research Fund Created in Memory of Cincinnati Child Continues Its Promise to Support Lifesaving Research

CINCINNATI (August 25, 2022)The Invictus Fund, a St. Baldrick’s Foundation Hero Fund created to honor the memory of Cincinnati local Holden G., is putting the money it has raised towards new advancements in childhood cancer treatments.

The Invictus fund is proud to support the second year of a St. Baldrick’s Foundation Fellow Grant awarded to Dr. Lisa Niswander at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Niswander and her colleagues are studying the best ways to combine two new treatments for two kinds of high-risk pediatric leukemias – something that has never been done.

The first treatment targets ‘miswired’ communication networks inside the leukemia cells that make them cancerous, and the second treatment uses the body’s immune system to attack the leukemia cells. Dr. Niswander is hopeful that by using patients’ own leukemia cells, her team will identify the best-personalized treatments for future testing in pediatric patients to improve their chances of a cure and living long and healthy lives.

Learn more about Holden and the Invictus Fund.

“We are honored and humbled by the many people who donate to the Invictus Fund; it is only due to their generosity that we are able to participate in grant funding in Holden’s memory. While in past years we selected projects related to Wilms Tumor or refractory relapses, this year we opted for a B Cell ALL project following the recent diagnosis of the son of a college friend. This diagnosis was a stark reminder that pediatric cancer isn’t rare, and that much more work is imperative to improve treatments and prognoses. We remain hopeful and are grateful to all our donors who facilitated this research through the Invictus Fund,” says Miriam, mother of Holden.

Holden was a happy, outgoing boy who loved baseball, school, and his big brother. He was diagnosed with a rare kidney cancer in 2010 and passed away just before his 7th birthday. Since its creation in 2012, The Invictus Fund has raised over $500,000 through head-shaving events and other fundraisers, including creating an Ohio specialty license plate for pediatric cancer awareness. For every “Conquer Childhood Cancer” license plate purchased, $25 goes to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. To order your specialized license plate and help fund pediatric cancer research, visit the BMV website and click OPLATES at the top of the page.

St. Baldrick’s Hero Funds are an ongoing way for friends, family members and groups to donate or raise funds to honor a loved one. To learn more about the program visit the St. Baldrick’s Hero Fund page.

About St. Baldrick’s Foundation
Every 2 minutes, a child somewhere in the world is diagnosed with cancer. In the U.S., 1 in 5 will not survive. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the largest charitable funder of childhood cancer research grants, is on a mission to give kids a lifetime by supporting the most promising research to find cures and better treatments for all childhood cancers. When you give to St. Baldrick’s, you don’t just give to one hospital – you support virtually every institution with the expertise to treat kids with cancer across the U.S. St. Baldrick’s ensures that children fighting cancer now — and those diagnosed in the future — will have access to the most cutting-edge treatment, by supporting every stage of research, from new ideas in the lab to the development of new therapies, to life-saving clinical trials. Join us at StBaldricks.org and help #GiveKidsALifetime.