By: Kari Radjewski, director of Marketing & Communications
Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among children in the United States. Each year in the United States, nearly 15,950 young people under age 20 are diagnosed with cancer. Approximately 490 of those children are from Michigan.
Sixteen-year-old Daniela was diagnosed with leukemia in 2022, the summer before her junior year of high school. Since, she has undergone multiple rounds of chemotherapy and a Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT), experiencing several long-term hospital stays and countless clinic appointments.
Daniela also struggled with her mental health during this time, overcome with depression from being ill, and grief of missing out on carefree teenage years and key milestones.
Her journey is common for kids diagnosed with cancer and emphasizes why the Children’s Foundation invests in discoveries and solutions that improve cure rates, prolong survival, and supports children throughout their cancer journey.
Investing In Innovative Research
Childhood cancer research receives only 4% of the National Cancer Institute’s research budget, leading to significant funding shortfalls. When researchers lack adequate funding, it can result in delayed or missed breakthroughs in childhood cancer.
To address this problem, the Children’s Foundation supports researchers like Dr. Jeffery Taub, chief of Oncology, at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. “The Children’s Foundation’s support is critical to us making progress in childhood cancer research,” said Dr. Taub, “We rely on philanthropy to support our investigations so we can detect and diagnose cancers earlier, identify new therapies, and improve outcomes.”
One of Taub’s current studies is focusing on the leukemia Daniela experienced – Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) – which is responsible for more than half of deaths from leukemia. Survival rates have increased over the past 20 years and require continued need for investigation.
In 2024, through philanthropic partnerships with organizations like Festival of Trees, UCanCerVive, and Kids Without Cancer, the Children’s Foundation has awarded more than $400,000 to our research partners at Children’s Hospital of Michigan’s Clinical Research Institute and University Pediatricians to advance discoveries in childhood cancer research.
With Foundation support, Taub and other researchers can continue their work to improve children’s health today and for generations to come.
Increasing Access to Clinical Trials
Guided by research, clinical trials enable new and better therapies for kids with cancer. The role of a pediatric Clinical Research Associate (CRA) is critical to offering state-of-the-art care for its young patients, however, insurance does not pay for this position. One of the key functions of a CRA is to enroll children in trials and help them overcome barriers to accessing treatment
Daniela, a first-generation Mexican American from Southwest Detroit, was the ideal patient for a trial at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, but her parents had a limited English vocabulary and felt nervous and confused about the process. To ease worries, the CRA translated the forms and informational materials so that Daniela’s parents understood the treatment outlined for their daughter, which resulted in them enrolling her for the trial.
This year alone, the Children’s Foundation in partnership with the St. Baldricks Foundation and Festival of Trees, have supported salaries in the amount of $135,000 for two pediatric cancer clinical research associates to help kids at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
Providing supportive care to patients during treatment
Young people facing cancer can encounter a range of stressful experiences and emotions. Support from Child Life Services helps kids cope with anxiety, uncertainty, and loss of control. Child Life Services includes art therapy, music therapy, yoga therapy, pet therapy, schoolteacher support and more.
Kids rely on these specialized Child Life therapies to cope and hope – and these therapies rely on philanthropic support from the Children’s Foundation to exist. In 2024, the Foundation awarded approximately $331,000 toward programming thanks to support from various funds at the Children’s Foundation, including the Leaders for Kids Endowment, John G. Levy Child Life Endowment, and others.
Daniela’s diagnosis came at a pivotal time in her high school career. She was missing out on memories with friends and so much learning, causing Daniela to fear she would miss college, too. She began to feel hopeless and frustrated.
“Daniela’s participation in Art Therapy not only helped her to relax, the therapeutic service fostered a safe space in which she was able to express and process her thoughts, feelings and worries,” said Victoria Goldsmith, art therapist at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
Daniela also received support from the hospital’s schoolteacher, who helped her maintain her high school’s curriculum. She finished her junior year with a 3.7 grade point average – the schoolteacher also provided a letter of recommendation for Daniela’s college application.
Today, Daniela is in remission from her leukemia, feeling great and enjoying her first football season as a freshman in college. She is planning to major in nursing.
Daniela’s journey is a powerful reminder of why the Children’s Foundation is committed to partnerships that advance innovation in childhood cancer research, treatment, and support – so together, we can improve the physical and mental health of children in Michigan
