Childhood Cancer Research Grants Named in Memory of Two Chicago Area Kids

Chicago, Ill. (August 13, 2018) – The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants, is proud to announce that two St. Baldrick’s Hero Funds created in honor of two local St. Baldrick’s Honored Kids will support lifesaving childhood cancer research across the country.

Dr. William Tansey at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., was awarded a $100,000 research grant by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Donations made to the Oh Danny Boy, I Love You So: The Danny O’Brien Rhabdoid Tumor Research Fund, created in memory of St. Baldrick’s Honored Kid Danny O’Brien from Chicago, have funded the research grant awarded to Dr. Tansey.

Diagnosed with rhabdoid tumor (MRT) at 5 months old, Danny lost his battle to cancer 4 months later. Dr. Tansey plans to use the funding to understand why a loss of a specific gene causes rare, but devastating cancers called malignant MRT and atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT), and how the loss of this gene allows the tumors to grow.

“We started the ‘Danny O’Brien Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor Research Fund’ after losing our Danny Boy,” said Danny’s parents, Rory and Mary O’Brien. “Throughout his treatment process, we were shocked to learn of how little funding there is for pediatric cancer research in general, and more specifically for malignant rhabdoid tumors. Our hope with this fund is to support research that will someday discover a cure for MRT and provide hope for those diagnosed with a MRT.”

Since 2017, the Oh Danny Boy Hero Fund has raised more than $216,000 to support the most promising childhood cancer research.

The second St. Baldrick’s Hero Fund is the Emily Beazley’s Kures for Kids Hero Fund, created in memory of St. Baldrick’s Honored Kid Emily Beazley from Chicago. Donations made to this Hero Fund will support four researchers; Dr. Ryan Summers at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., Dr. Birgit Knoechel and Dr. Rani George from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Mass., and Dr. Jing Fang from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C.

Dr. Summers was named the “Emily Beazley’s Kures for Kids St. Baldrick’s Fellow,” and awarded a $169,550 grant to support his work focused on finding new treatments with fewer toxic side-effects for children with early T-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ETP-ALL).

Dr. Knoechel was named the “Emily Beazley’s Kures for Kids St. Baldrick’s Scholar” and awarded $75,000 to support her research on drug resistance T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and developing new treatment strategies for patients with relapsed leukemia.

Dr. George was named the “Emily Beazley’s Kures for Kids St. Baldrick’s Research Grant” and awarded $100,000 to support his research focused on understanding how a gene that is abnormal in over half of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma can cause tumor growth by shutting off protective immune mechanisms.

Dr. Fang was named the “Emily Beazley’s Kures for Kids St. Baldrick’s Research Grant” and awarded $100,000 to support her research focused on helping kids with leukemia. Her research suggests that by lowering the protein levels or limiting its function may help cure leukemia without injuring normal blood cells.

The Hero Fund that made these grants possible was started by Emily Beazley. Emily had two goals in life; to become a pediatric oncology nurse and to establish a foundation that supports childhood cancer research. Unfortunately, Emily lost her battle with cancer in 2015 at 12 years old. Her family wants to give kids with a cancer diagnosis a future, so they continue with Kures for Kids in her memory.

“Kures for Kids was started by Emily in the hopes of giving children diagnosed with cancer better treatment options than what she had. Science failed Emily, who was able to continue fighting, but she exhausted all treatment options,” said Emily’s parents, Ed and Nadia Beazley. “We brought her home and watched her die a slow and painful death. Up until the end, she still had a smile on her face and a positive attitude. We continue Emily’s work in hopes that one day there will be no such thing as childhood cancer. We would like to thank all of our donors, and everyone who has helped make Emily Beazley’s Kures for Kids what it is.”

Since the Emily Beazley’s Kures for Kids St. Baldrick’s Hero Fund was created in January 2018, they have raised more than $510,000 and continues to honor Emily’s wishes to help find better treatments and cures for all kids with cancer.

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
As the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation is leading the charge to take childhood back from cancer. St. Baldrick’s funds some of the most brilliant childhood cancer research experts who are working to find cures and better treatments for all childhood cancers. Kids need treatments as unique as they are – and that starts with funding research just for them. Join us at StBaldricks.org to help support the best childhood cancer research, no matter where it takes place.

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