Childhood Cancer Facts

Childhood cancers are the #1 disease killer of children — more than asthma, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and pediatric AIDS combined.

One in every 330 children will develop cancer before the age of 19.

The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) federal budget was $4.6 billion. Of that, breast cancer received 12%, prostate cancer received 7%, and all 12 major groups of pediatric cancers combined received less than 3%.

Childhood cancer is not a single disease, but rather many different types that fall into 12 major categories. Common adult cancers are extremely rare in children, yet many cancers are almost exclusively found in children.

One out of every five children diagnosed with cancer dies.
Common cancer symptoms in children — fever, swollen glands, anemia, bruises and infection — are often suspected to be, and at the early stages are treated as, other childhood illnesses.

Three out of every five children diagnosed with cancer suffer from long-term or late onset side effects.

Childhood Cancers are cancers that primarily affect children, teens, and young adults. When cancer strikes children and young adults it affects them differently than it would an adult.

Attempts to detect childhood cancers at an earlier stage, when the disease would react more favorably to treatment, have largely failed. Young patients often have a more advanced stage of cancer when first diagnosed. (Approximately 20% of adults with cancer show evidence the disease has spread, yet almost 80% of children show that the cancer has spread to distant sites at the time of diagnosis).

Cancer in childhood occurs regularly, randomly, and spares no ethnic group, socioeconomic class, or geographic region.

The cause of most childhood cancers are unknown and at present, cannot be prevented. (Most adult cancers result from lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, occupation, and other exposure to cancer-causing agents).

Nationally, childhood cancer is 20 times more prevalent than pediatric AIDS yet pediatric AIDS receives four times the funding that childhood cancer receives.

On the average, 12,500 children and adolescents in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer each year.

On the average, one in every four elementary schools has a child with cancer.

On the average, every high school in America has two students who are a current or former cancer patient.

In the U.S., about 46 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer every single school day. That's about the equivalent of two entire classrooms.

While the cancer death rate has dropped more dramatically for children than for any other age group, 2,300 children and teenagers will die each year from cancer.

Today, up to 75% of the children with cancer can be cured, yet, some forms of childhood cancers have proven so resistant to treatment that, in spite of research, a cure is illusive.

Several childhood cancers continue to have a very poor prognosis, including: brain stem tumors, metastatic sarcomas, relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

So, now you're saying, "Wow! That's absolutely ridiculous ... what can I do to HELP???" (right?) :)

Here are some things you can do this month (and ALL YEAR ROUND, for the most part!) to support Childhood Cancer Awareness. None of these things involves any financial burden of any kind (except for eating at Chili's ... but hey, ya gotta eat right??)

Join Team Unite to become part of a unified voice against childhood cancer.

Join People Against Cancer(PAC2) to learn of efforts being made around the world to find a cure, raise awareness, and lend support.

Tell everyone you know (and even those you don't know) how you, or someone you love, has been touched by childhood cancer.

Donate blood.

Eat at Chili’s on Mon., Sept. 29, when Chili’s will donate 100 percent of profits from participating restaurant sales to St. Jude. Check your local Chili's to see if they are participating and ask how you can help.

WEAR GOLD FOR THE KIDS

Register to become a bone marrow donor

Let a family that's been touched by childhood cancer know you STILL CARE and haven't forgotten about their struggles ... let a family of an angel know their child remains in your heart

Sign theCure Childhood Cancer Petition and ask your friends and family to sign, as well!

Read this article on Childhood Cancer..Where's The Money?

Offer to volunteer at a local childhood cancer center

See there? That's a LOT of stuff you can do and most of it only requires a bit of TIME and LOVE on your part. I know each and every one of you could do at least one thing on that list. Please do.

(Courtesy of Heidi Randall)

Stand Up To Cancer

Brown Bag For A Cure is joining others across the country in the STAND UP TO CANCER campaign and invites you to join us!

Friday, September 5th @ 8pm (EST & PST) and 7pm (CST) the three major networks will air Stand Up To Cancer, a star-studded television event to raise money for cancer research.

Some ideas for the evening....

Host a viewing party! It’s a great way to bring your family and friends together. Set up your computer and your guests can make donations online while they watch.

For everyone fighting to end cancer, this is a must watch show.
E-mail all of your friends – join in, as we as a nation, Stand Up To Cancer...

To learn more about the Stand Up To Cancer campaign, visit Stand Up To Cancer

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia will be a featured hospital as part of Stand Up 2 Cancer. Katie Couric and Abigail Breslin visited the hospital as part of the Stand Up 2 Cancer filming. Abigail met with patients, nurses, child life and others from 3south. She also filmed a public service announcement for Stand Up 2 Cancer in one patient's room.

Watch a video clip from the local news here.

Please register here... Once you are registered, go to the "Get Involved" Tab and click on "The Teams". From there you can search for a Team. Brown Bag For A Cure would be honored to have you on our TEAM.

5 Minutes Could Mean $2.5 Million For Pediatric Brain Tumor Research

5 minutes of your time could mean up to $2.5million for pediatric brain tumor research...

The PLGA Foundation is in the running for a HUGE grant from American Express's philanthropic program. The hitch is that we need to get 10,000 people to NOMINATE the project BEFORE August 30th in order to be considered as a candidate for the funds.

This is where we need YOUR help. Nominating is EASY. Just four steps:

1) Go to American Express Members Project which will automatically bring you to the summary of the "Project Brain Child" project

2) Click the "NOMINATE PROJECT" button

3) Sign in (If you are an Amex cardmember use your ONLINE user name and password as if you were viewing your credit card statement. If you are not an Amex cardmember sign in as a "Guest")

4) Click on "Nominate Project" again to register your vote.
You are done! THIS TAKES 5 MINUTES TO COMPLETE.

For those of you who have time to do a little more.....when you are at Project Brain Childyou can also click on the "Discussion Board" link at the bottom of the page and write a message that tells American Express why this is so important. (For example, no funds available, current treatments are toxic and punishing, not to mention ineffective, etc.)

The ultimate thing you could do is reach out to your friends, colleagues, family, and any other groups where you might get the membership to vote for the project as well. (Feel free to also put the request on Facebook,MySpace, carepages, caringbridge, website, etc. page. and ask everyone to do the same.)

The goal is HUGE, but 'viral marketing' can work...if each one of us reaches out to their email contact lists. We stand a chance if we stand together!!!!

PLEASE, PLEASE help us get these funds for pediatric brain tumor research.

Thanks so much!

" Children with brain tumors should be able to fight for their dreams, not for their lives."

Pediatric Brain Tumor Traced To Normal Cells Gone Bad

An aggressive childhood brain tumor known as medulloblastoma originates in normal brain “stem” cells that turn malignant when acted on by a known mutant, cancer-causing oncogene, say researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Reporting in the Aug. 12 issue of Cancer Cell, the scientists say they have uncovered new origins for these tumors from early stem cells as well as more mature cells. Previously, scientists had assumed the tumors might only come from a single source: more mature cells which become neurons and do not have “stem” cell properties. The findings hint at potential new treatment approaches for medulloblastoma by targeting the origins of the tumors, and further suggest that not all patients’ tumors may be born from the same cells.

“We now have a better idea of where these brain tumors come from and their relationship to normal stem cells in the brain,” said Keith Ligon, MD, PhD, co-senior author of the report and an investigator at the Center for Molecular Oncologic Pathology at Dana-Farber and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Co-senior author, David Rowitch, MD, PhD, currently a professor of pediatrics and neurosurgery at UCSF and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, commented that mouse experiments shed light on how normal stem cells – cells with the power to create all types of cells in the brain – can be transformed into tumors. The transformation occurs when a cell-signaling pathway known as Sonic hedgehog (named for a cartoon character) is reactivated by a chance mutation.

Sonic hedgehog plays an important role during the embryonic development of the brain, but normally shuts down when it’s no longer needed. When turned on again by a mutation, the signals can trigger cell processes leading to tumors – not just in the brain, but in other organs as well.

Medulloblastomas, usually diagnosed in children between 2 and 5 years of age, affect the brain’s cerebellum region, which is involved in controlling body movements. They make up about 30 percent of childhood brain tumors, and account for 250 to 300 new cases per year.

With current treatments, approximately 60 to 70 percent of patients live at least five years, but often they are left with cognitive disabilities from surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, urgently suggesting a need for new, more-selective therapies.

“Medulloblastoma was one of the first tumors that was believed to fit the hypothesis that tumors are caused by ‘cancer stem cells’ that initiate malignancies and sustain them,” said Ligon, who is also on the faculty and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. “But the prevailing hypothesis — that medulloblastomas originate from non-stem cells -- just did not make perfect sense with this.”

The discoveries emerged from a series of experiments begun in the Rowitch Laboratory at Dana-Farber. The initial goal was to determine whether activating the Sonic hedgehog cancer pathway in multiple types of brain cells, including neural stem cells, could help pinpoint which cells brain cancers might come from. Surprisingly, the scientists generated just one tumor type, medulloblastoma, regardless of whether they activated the pathway in stem cells for other cell types called neurons and glia. This was a surprise: it had been thought that medulloblastoma arose purely from neuronal (“thinking”) cells and not “glial” or supporting cells.

An intriguing question for the investigators is why these cells, known as granule neuron precursors, seem to be uniquely vulnerable to the tumor-triggering effects of the Sonic hedgehog pathway, while other brain stem and progenitor cells are not.

Explained Rowitch: “There must be susceptibility factors in the granule neuron precursor cell that predispose it to forming cancer, so we now must try to understand what it is about this cell type that makes it susceptible to forming cancer in response to Sonic hedgehog signaling. This relationship between stem cells and oncogenes suggests a new point of potential therapeutic intervention.”

The paper’s lead authors are Ulrich Schüller, MD, an independent researcher in Munich, and Vivi M. Heine, PhD, of UCSF.

The other authors are Alvin T. Kho, PhD, of Children’s Hospital Boston; Allison K. Dillon, PhD; Tao Sun, PhD; Qiufa Ma, PhD, and Ying Qian, of Dana-Farber; Young-Goo Han, PhD, and Arturo Alvarez-Buylla, PhD, of UCSF; Emmanuelle Huillard, PhD, formerly of Dana-Farber and now at UCSF; Azra H. Ligon, PhD, of Dana-Farber and Brigham and Women’s; and Junhao Mao, PhD, and Andrew P. McMahon, PhD, of Harvard University.

The research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, the March of Dimes Foundation, the James S. McDonnell Research Foundation, and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a principal teaching affiliate of the Harvard Medical School and is among the leading cancer research and care centers in the United States. It is a founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, designated a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute.

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.

Source: UCSF News Office

People Against Childhood Cancer

Please join this united force against childood cancer.

View my page on People Against Childhood Cancer

Everyday Is A Gift From God....

None of us know what tomorrow holds for us. What we are doing with our life this very minute is what is important. What are you doing with your time? Will you be remembered for what you did while here on earth?

At this very minute, in a hospital or clinic somewhere, parents are hearing those dreaded words, you child has cancer. Do you think they expected to hear those dreadful words?

Just look in the sidebar of this blog at all the names of children who fight a brain tumor everyday. All these families are taking life one day at a time and hoping a cure or treatment will be discovered to save their child.

Now scan down to the next section in the sidebar. The families of these children will never be the same. They have had to do the unthinkable, something no parent should have to do, bury their child.

I thank God everyday, I do not know that feeling. I do know what it feels like to hear, "your child has cancer". There are no words to describe that feeling.

Many have told me I wear my heart on my sleeve when it comes to children with brain tumors. I never try to hide my passion and determination to help find a cure or at least, better treatment options. One never knows what the future holds and that is just one of the reasons, I work everyday trying to make a difference to children everywhere. There are very few children listed here, that I have actually met in person, but that does not stop my loving and caring for each and everyone of them.

You, as a reader, do not know what the future holds for your children or a child you know. You can only hope, you never hear those dreaded words, your child has cancer and there is nothing we can do for him or her. The important issue is what we are doing right now.

My plea to you...Please choose today to make a difference and support Brown Bag For A Cure. All you need to do, is brown bag your lunch and donate what you would have spent on lunch out.

Pray For a 911 Miracle For Gunner

Gunner is hospitalized and his mother, Janna has asked everyone to pray for a 911 Miracle for Gunner. Please join me and pray for G.If you want to leave words of encouragment in the comment section, I will pass them on to Janna.

This is Gunner's Magic Train..Please get onboard, so we can help him move this mountain.



Please read the latest updates on Gunner here:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/gunnergillespie

Brown Bag For A Cure Donates....

On Saturday, July 26th, we presented our first donation...

Drum Roll Please...

$27,338 was donated to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.

Two amazing children formed their own TEAM and both achieved the goal we set for them. Drew Goodman from Virginia raised $5,350 and Sarah Council from Mississippi raised $3,000. Thank you so much to everyone that supported these children.

My vision became an organization this past January. We are not yet a 501(c)(3), but hope to get all the paperwork finalized very soon. For now, we will continue to raise funds for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.

The concept is simple, brown bag your lunch and donate what you would have spent on lunch out for research into finding the cause and cure of the cancer that kills more of our children that any other.

We are not done either...We need you. Please contact us and let us form a TEAM for you. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and we hope to be able to make more donations that month.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone that supported us and our vision to find a cure.

Just beLIeVE In A Cure and join our

TEAM...Together Each Accomplishes More.

beLIeVE

Each donation to Brown Bag For A Cure will help us fund research, necessary to win the battle against pediatric brain tumors and to provide all of the children fighting today, and those who will be joining the fight tomorrow...HOPE.

Your generous support directly funds the research and development of new treatments, and it is through such research that pediatric brain tumors will be conquered.

The lack of money stands in the way, and time is running out for many of these kids. Today it is up to generous donors, and dedicated researchers, who have made it their mission to discover safer, more effective treatments and a cure for pediatric brain tumors.

Through your generous support, you have the power to create hope for the children whose lives we are committed to saving...the lives of our very own children and children we do not even know.

Won’t you please support the research so desperately needed to give all the kids fighting brain tumors today, and those who will begin to fight tomorrow, the hope all children deserve?

Know the Facts:

Each child in the U.S. diagnosed with cancer receives approximately one-sixth of the federal research support allocated to each patient afflicted with AIDS. Yet in 2004, 48 new cases of pediatric AIDS were diagnosed vs. more than 12,000 pediatric cancer cases.

The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) federal budget was $4.6 billion. Of that, breast cancer received 12%, prostate cancer received 7%, and all 12 major groups of pediatric cancers combined received less than 3%.

Cancer accounts for the greatest number of disease deaths of children in the United States and kills more children per year than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, asthma and AIDS combined.

More children die from a brain tumor than any other cancer or disease.

Please Make A Donation Today

I beLIeVE In A Cure....Do You?

With A Heavy Heart...

Shelbi Savanna Martin earned her wings today. She is now dancing with the Angels.

Shelbi was diagnosed with a highly malignant tumor just before her 4th birthday, on March 22, 2007. During her diagnoses she underwent emergency surgery to remove some of the tumor. She was in a coma for a week, then after another week underwent another surgery to continue and remove the tumor. A few hours before her first surgery, Shelbi suffered a stroke which damaged much of the back of her brain where her eyesight is controlled, therefore losing her eyesight. A month after her surgeries she began radiation which lasted for 6 weeks. Two months after the radiation began she went through rounds of heavy chemotherapy which made her very sick and weak.

Through all this she has remained a very happy little girl. She has shown strength like no one has ever seen. She has shown so many people what Faith, Hope and Love are really all about.

Flutter those wings Shelbi and fly high sweet one.

Please remember her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Drew Goodman Needs Your Help

My name is Drew and I am raising money for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. I have less than 3 weeks to raise my money, so please make a contribution. Every penny counts.

At 4 years old I was diagnosed with a highly aggressive, adult brain tumor, rarely seen in children. The name of this beast is a Glioblastoma Multiforme. My parents were told to go home and enjoy their time of 5 – 12 months. I am happy to say it has been 4 years and I am doing well.

You can read all about me here: Drew's Fundraising Page

Thanks for making a difference to me and all the other kids that need a cure for a brain tumor.

Please Honor Dylan's Memory

On June 29, 2007, Dylan and his family were hit with the terrible news, he had a brain tumor and needed emergency surgery. The massive tumor was removed on July 6th. Dylan was diagnosed with a high-grade Astrocytoma/Glioblastoma, a stage 4 cancer.

Dylan was a friendly, happy and caring boy. When he should have been enjoying his freshman year in high school, he was fighting for his life. Sadly he lost that battle on May 23.

Dylan was a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, and a cousin and a friend to everyone he met. He was an amazing person and we all have asked, "Why Dylan"?

RIP Dylan...September 15 1993-May 23 2008

Please join Dylan's friends and family and Brown Bag you lunch to honor his memory.

Brown Bag For A Cure is a simple and unique means to raise money for brain tumor research. You simply brown bag your lunch and donate what you would have spent on lunch out. All money donated goes directly to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.

Secure online donations may be made here.

Checks made out to the PBTF may be mailed here:

Brown Bag For A Cure
P O Box 94
Beaverdam, VA 23015

There is a PayPal button in the sidebar.

The amount does not matter, as every penny counts.

Please Brown Bag for Dylan...Thank you.

beLIeVE Buttons

This is a fund-raiser for pediatric brain tumor research.

Show your support for a child with cancer.

beLIeVE Buttons

$3.00 each or 2 for $5.00 (Shipping $1.00)

$2.00 each for 12 or more buttons (Shipping $3.00)

Samples below.



Email me for payment details here: kathy@brownbagforacure.org

I will need the photo of the child you are honoring.

21 Days....

We started "Brown Bag For A Cure" in an effort to save children with brain tumors.

Imagine being locked in your own body.

Imagine not being able to speak, walk on your own, see, or even swallow your own food; while having complete cognitive abilities and independent thought.

Imagine waking up every morning and experiencing the sensation of losing the use of another finger, toe or limb at a pace that shuts down your entire body within weeks. You are trapped, without hope or without a lifeline to the world around you.

Now imagine you are just 6 years old.

Brain Tumors affect the most innocent of all victims – children who just want to grow-up. And just at the time that they are planning their first day of kindergarten, it hits without warning and no mercy.

Brain tumors are an extremely difficult cancer to treat and beat! Thousands of kids fight this battle with little guarantee of a future.

The concept is simple. Please give up lunch for just one day and donate the money you would have spent. for pediatric brain tumor research. Ask everyone you know to do the same.

ALL funds raised through Brown Bag For A Cure go directly to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Click to make a secure online donation.

Please help us save the children. It is just one lunch out of your life and it could be the very gift that provides thousands of children with just that -- Life!

The end date for this current fund-raising mission is July 26th. Our target is $25,000 and we are $4,000 from that amount. Or you could save 400 Brown Baggers x $10.00 donation....

If you are reading this blog, you know a child who is fighting this battle or a child that lost their fight. Please Brown Bag just one day in Honor or Memory of them.

Did you know?

Today in America 9 children will be diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Today in America 3 children will die from a brain tumor.

Today in America 6 families will transition in survivorship for their child’s brain tumor.

Click this link to make a secure online donation.

Happy July 4th

Please join Coleman and Caden Larson in The Pledge of Allegience.

Gunner Needs Your Help

Gunner and his family needs your help. Everyone, please to do this little thing to help Gunner Gillespie (Brain tumor patient – Diffused Intrinsic Pontine Glioma).

Gunner has completed 20 treatments and he has begun a second round of another 20 treatments. He has had many curves and cracks in G’s Magic Train Ride. However, his parents have seen some wonderful improvements in the last few days. He still has a long way to go and since they would like to do another round of treatments at Envita, it is costing WAY more than his family had anticipating paying. Please, remember since this alternative, insurance will not pay for any of the treatments or supplements.

“See a Penny pick it up...

Send it to Gunner...

With a prayer...

For Good luck!”



If everyone sends a penny and a prayer to the bank account that the friends of Gunner Gillespie has set up to help pay for medical expenses, we think it could help put a dent in his medical bills.

Donations may be made to the: The Gillespie Family and sent to the special account set up for them here:

Community Financial Services Bank (CFSB)
PO Box 467
Benton, KY 42025

Thank you.

Note: Brown Bag For A Cure raises money for pediatric brain tumor research, so that a cure will be found for all children affected by a brain tumor. However, we are asking you to please send Gunner a penny. Then if you are inclined, send a penny to BBFAC, for all the other children hoping for a medical miracle. Thank you.

Shelby's New Walker

I am so excited to share this exciting news with all of you. My little friend, Shelby got a new walker. See for yourself how good she is doing with it.

Brown Bag For A Cure July 4

Join us July 4, 2008 at the Beaverdam Ruritan Park on Teman Rd in Beaverdam, VA. Starting at 10:00 am, the parade will begin on Beaver Dam Rd. in the heart of Beaverdam and will end at the Ruritan Park on Teman Rd. At the park there will be food, fun and Brown Bag For A Cure with The Wall of Courage representing many of the children effected by brain tumors. There will be items for sale, a raffle, and silent auction items.

Beaverdam/Montpelier's very own Brain Tumor Fighter/Survivor - Drew Goodman will be there to help raise money for a cure! Come out and help Drew Goodman! Drew is a local 8 year old child living with a very aggressive, adult brain tumor. Drew was diagnosed in 2004 and relapsed in 2007.

Brown Bag For A Cure

Support Pediatric Brain Tumor Research

Today In America...

9 Children will be diagnosed with a brain tumor...
3 Children will die from their brain tumor
6 Children will transition into survivorship of their brain tumor.

Brown Bag For A Cure....is a simple, unique plan...

Together we will raise funds, give hope and enhance the quality of life for children with brain tumors.

How Can You Help?

Brown Bag Your Lunch...Give A Child Hope

Join our TEAM....

You join our TEAM by making a difference. BBFAC is about finding a cure for pediatric brain tumors and ending the suffering. Your part is simply, to honor your child or a child you know and help raise money for research, by asking your friends, family co-workers, etc to brown bag their lunch and donate what they would have spent on lunch out.

Our hopes are to raise money throughout the entire year, with our first donation on July 26, 2008 to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. The money raised will be combined and hopefully provide one large contribution for research. Together, as a TEAM we can make a difference and help eradicate this disease!

Our goal is 5000 people x $5.00 donation=$25,000 in donations by July 26, 2008

For additional information on Brown Bag For A Cure At The Beaverdam Ruritan July 4th Parade contact:

Kathy Straughn (kathy@brownbagforacure.org) or

Gina Goodman (OneAngelsMommy@aol.com).

Or visit the web site at .Brown Bag For A Cure

To make online donations visit Firstgiving or mail checks to The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation c/o Drew Goodman, PO Box 94, Beaverdam, VA 23015

Caitlyn Churak Earned Her Wings

Caitlyn Churak was surrounded by many family members, earned her wings at 12:20 AM, Friday, June 27th.

Cards may be sent to her family:
The Churak Family
PO Box 474
Palatine, IL 60078

To leave an online note for the Churak family. Go Here

Heaven Has A New Angel

Isaiah Martinez earned his wings yesterday. Please follow the link below to leave his family a few words of encouragement.

Click Here

Children With Brain Tumors Need You

Children, like Sarah are counting on you!

They need you to brown bag your lunch and donate what your would have spent on lunch out for pediatric brain tumor research.

Brown Bag For A Cure set a goal of $25,000 and we only need to raise another $5,000 to reach our goal...Yea!

That's ....
1000 caring people X $5.00 donation =$5,000 or
500 caring people x $10.00 donation = $5,000 or
200 caring people x $25.00 donation = $5,000

Heck we are not picky, we will take even a dollar!

I know we can do it...We need your help....No matter how you put it...Cancer Sucks...Brain Tumors Suck! Just ask Gunner...

We must do all within our power to find a cure. The only way we can find a cure is by supporting research and research costs a lot of money.

Can we put a price tag on saving our child's life? NO...I know I can't...You never know when a child you know may be stricken with one. I pray you will never know that feeling.

All donations go to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, the largest non-governmental funding agency in the world for pediatric brain tumor research.


Donate Securely Online Here

We have 32 days before the scheduled donation date.

Please give up lunch for a child you know or that you may never know. Thank you...

Trust me when I say...there is no greater feeling when a person stoops to help a child and when you make a donation, you are giving hope to thousands of children fighting the most deadly of all childhood cancers.

Look at these faces...Please give up lunch for them. Thank you.

BeLIeVE In A Cure...

WE NEED your help! These are just three of the thousands of children that fight a brain tumor everyday!

1000 Heroes x $5.00 Donation = $5,000 for RESEARCH...



Please be one of those Heroes and ask your friends to be one also. All you need to do is brown bag your lunch and donate the cost of a fast food meal.

Thank you..

What Can You Do...

I will leave that up to you...

Children with brain tumors need you...The majority of children with a brain tumor are left without many options. Why? There is no cure!

Help today with a donation or show your support by forming a TEAM for our mission. Our goal is to raise $25,000 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and we can use all the help we can get.

The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization that seeks to find the cause of and cure for childhood brain tumors by supporting medical research.

When the PBTF was created in 1991, the diagnosis of a brain tumor was virtually a death sentence for a child. Because there was very little research being done into the disease, most treatments were ineffective or harsh, and most children did not survive to adulthood.

The PBTF has worked hard to change that reality. Researchers are developing new therapies that extend the lives of children, and we believe that their work will ultimately lead to a cure for this most devastating of childhood cancers.

As the world's largest non-governmental source of funding for childhood brain tumor research, they are dedicated to not only eradicating this disease, but to providing support to families.

Through their efforts to raise public awareness, more attention has been focused on this deadly disease. Whether addressing congressional briefings or funding international conferences, the PBTF is an unwavering advocate.

Donate by mail with your check made out to Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation:

Brown Bag For A Cure
9282 Monongahela Trail
Ashland, VA 23005

Donate by credit/debit card online here.

Join us in our fight against the No. 1 cancer killer of children...

I beLIeVE in a cure and with your help, we will be one step closer.

Children Do Not Ask For Cancer

Last week several children lost their battles and went to be with God. How could they loose a battle? They had fought so hard. How could they loose a battle that their parents sacrificed so much for?How will their families and friends ever be the same? They will not.

That being said, it makes my mission that much more important to me and the families counting on medical research to save their child's life. Every step I take, I take for a baby, a child, and/or adult with a brain tumor or a child/adult that has been lost to one.

Have you ever been in a cancer clinic?

If not, maybe you could set aside some time to visit one. You could look around at all the little innocent boys and girls laying on the couches or sitting in the chairs, getting their chemo. Some are bald, some may have a little hair, some are wearing hats, some wigs, and some even have hair. However, they are all the same - they are fighting with everything they have to live and to live happy and thru it all, they keep smiling.

Those of us who do not have to live that life are so extremely blessed to have our health. We take so much for granted that we probably shouldn't, and these kids are just happy to still be here.

So this is my plea today to please donate to the mission of Brown Bag For A Cure, which is The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. All you have to do is Click Here to make a secure online donation.

Just the cost of one lunch. Together as a TEAM, we can give so much hope to these children. Children who just want to grown and live, carefree with no pain and no more treatments.

Brown Bag Your Lunch...Give A Child Hope

Join our TEAM! Together Each Accomplishes More...

We are about finding a cure for pediatric brain tumors and ending the suffering of our innocent children.

Your part is simply, to honor a child or a child you know and help raise money for research. You do this by asking your friends, family, co-workers and everyone you know to brown bag their lunch and donate what they would have spent on lunch out.

As a TEAM, we can make a difference and help eradicate this monster, called a brain tumor that kills more of our children than any other cancer.

You came to the blog because you know a child who is being treated for a brain tumor or you know a child that now lives in heaven because of a brain tumor. Maybe it is one of the 135 plus children listed in the sidebar.

Please give up lunch for one of them today. Just the price of a fast food meal goes farther than you think. You donation goes directly to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Brown Bag For A Cure does not keep any portion of it.

I hope and pray to see every child on this page honored by someone who was willing to make a difference and give up lunch for them.

Remember Me...Brain Tumor Awareness Video

Words Cannot Describe This Video

Thank you Mimi.

Heroes and Warriors

Websters dictionary decribes a hero as 1 a: a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability b: an illustrious warrior c: a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities d: one that shows great courage. A warrior is described as: a person engaged in some struggle.

I would say that children with brain tumors or any cancer are true heroes and warriors. Each day they demonstrate a courage that many of us will never know and they are engaged in the struggle of their lives. The struggle to LIVE...
Nationwide there are over 30,000 of these heroes and warriors, facing daily life with a brain tumor. When was the last time you heard about these heroes on the daily news?

We mourn the deaths of people in mass shootings, airplane crashes, natural disasters, etc. but we sometimes forget about the families, that will mourn the loss of their child, that did not have to die either. Just because their death does not make the news,does not mean these children are not heroes and brave warriors too.

The incidence of brain tumors is increasing, but the answer to why is unknown. There are more that 120 different types of brain tumors. Benign tumors can come back and often end in death. Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer death in children. 76% of all children diagnosed are under the age of 15.

These kids are fighting for a cure and time is crucial, as every minute counts. Until a cure is found, we must find better treatments. Brain tumor research is miserably underfunded. Research is the key to new and more effective treatments and research takes money....A lot of money.

Children need better treatment options...They need more help, more hope and less invasive treatments, more advanced theraphy and improved quality of life...for a healthy future.

Please help these everyday heroes and warriors by supporting pediatic brain tumor research. Every penny counts. All we are asking is that you "Brown Bag" your lunch and donate what you would have spent on lunch.

You came to this blog because a child you know and care about has a brain tumor. They could be your child, your grandchild, the child next door or from your church or maybe a child you don't even know, but pray for.

Please be a different kind of Hero (a person admired for his achievements and noble qualities) to these kids today. Lead by example with love and an out-reached hand by helping these children to climb their mountains and look to the sunlight again.

The clocks tics...Children die...Every dollar counts...

5000 Brown Baggers X $5.00 Donation = $25,000 for Research



Donate Online Here Please

Children Who Are Fighting To Live

Children Who Are No Longer With Us

Pray For A Super Miracle for Hadley

This morning I knew deep in my heart there was going to be an update, that I did not want to read. Sure enough there is was.

Little Miss Hadley Fox has officially reached the end of treatment options. Hadley's parents will meet with her team of doctors in Seattle during the next few days...but, when weighing risk vs benefit there aren't any options left that won't ultimately just steal away quality of her life. They are in agreement with her doctors that they have exhausted all options and have done their best to fight this beast.

The following was taken from her carebrige:

We have helped Hadley fight this for over 4 years and now it's time to not worry about fighting it and focus all of our energy on living...making every single moment 'count'...drinking up every ounce of this sweet girl our family is blessed with...loving on her for just as long as we can. I've always gotten through the journey by having a plan of action...a goal. This is our next step...our goal. I want you all to understand that Hadley IS a miracle. She is OUR miracle.

I know there are a lot of people praying for Hadley. Please continue to pray for a "Super Miracle" for this sweet little girl.

I only know Hadley and her family through the internet, like so many of the wonderful children that you will find links to on this blog and website. That does not stop me from loving them and praying each of them will receive their "MIracle".

For now, we must all "beLIeVE In A Cure" and put an end to this monster that keeps attaching our precious children.

When you put your children to bed tonight, hug them extra tight.

Mobilization of Cancer Moms & Dads

So some of you might have read...Ted Kennedy came through surgery yesterday okay. As you know, he was diagnosed recently with a brain tumor, a glioma in the left parietal lobe. There has been speculation that his tumor is a gliobastoma.

A glioblastome is generally considered a high grade tumor. When speaking of brain tumors, doctors use "low grade" and "high grade and generally not "malignant and "benign". Any mass growing in your brain, either low grade or high grade is potentially lethal.

Now to get to the point of this post today. It will interesting to see if Mr. Kennedy's brain tumor has any effect on the cancer research budget. 13% of the billion dollar cancer research is currently allocated towards brain tumors. Only 4% of that goes toward pediatric brain tumors.

The brain tumor community is wondering just that. Brain cancer moms, dads, grandmothers, grandfathers and so on, it is time for a nationwide mobilization. It's time for us contact our elected officials and push for a larger allocation for pediatric brain tumor research and passage of the "Conquer Childhood Cancer Act".

America, trust me, you've never seen mobilization, until you've witnessed the nationwide mobilization of cancer moms and dads.

Chemo and radiation take such a toll on a person, and their family as well. My thoughts and prayers are with all the kids and adults, including Mr. Kennedy, who are under going treatment for the most deadly of all childhood cancers, a brain tumor.

Until our government is convinced that more money should allocated to pediatric brain tumor research, it is up to us the private sector of America to fund pediatric brain tumor research.

Monday Was A Great Day..I Made A New Friend

Today is Tuesday...This is what I did yesterday! On Monday I went to meet an amazing eight year old boy, Drew and his mom, Gina.

I recently became aware of Drew through this amazing tool, we all now depend on, the internet. Little did I know, he lives in the same county as me and his grandfather worked with my husband at one time. It really is a small world.

I made arrangements to meet Drew and Gina at their home. I arrived right on time and there waiting on the porch was Drew, just a waving and smiling. He ran to the car and smothered me with the best hugs and kisses. He now has me wrapped around his fingers.

We go inside and the hugs and kisses continue and he is quite the little gentleman, even kissing my hand! He always had a smile, even when mom sent him to his room, so we could chat!

At four years old, Drew was diagnosed with a highly aggressive, adult brain tumor, rarely seen in children. Drew's parents were told to go home and enjoy their time of 5 – 12 months. I am happy to say it has been 4 years and Drew is doing well. Drew is a very loving and fun child. He has never met a stranger. Drew loves everyone he meets. He is known to shower everyone with his love, hugs and kisses, as I found out first hand. You can read Drew's complete on my website: Brown Bag For A Cure

Drew's family has decided to join my TEAM and help with my mission of $25,000 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. We talked about several ideas and we are exploring numerous possiblities for achieving this goal.

You can read all about Drew on his Caring Bridge page and he loves the messages, so leave him one please: Drew's Carebridge

55 Acts of Kindness

As some of you know, my 55th birthday is coming up on June 12. No big party or celebration is planned. I have themed it a "55 Acts Of Kindess Month Long Celebration" where I will be doing various things this entire month to raise awareness and money for pediatric brain tumor research in honor of the big "55".

Wow...I used to think that was old, but it is not looking too old at the moment. I sent emails to some of my friends and I received the following back from a dear friend. (I did not ask their permission to post the email, so I am leaving their name off.)

Dear Kathy,
Since we met in July 2004, you have been a wonderful inspiration to me and a great friend. You have been a true supporter of children with brain tumors. I have witnessed your great big heart in action and your depth of conviction towards ending their pain and suffering is huge. I am continually amazed and impressed with all the efforts you put forth on behalf of the Kids and their families.

You are a true inspiration to others and we should all strive to follow your lead. Your outlook on life and optimism is just two of your many traits that inspire me to be a better person.

So, my commitment to you, is to honour your 55th birthday with a donation to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. I will contribute 55 cents for the 30 days in June. I am not waiting til the end of the 30 days, I will be making my online donation this week. Hopefully others will follow my lead.

I have read this email several times and still tear up everytime. Thank you for the kind words, my dear friend, you are truly one in a million and I value your friendship. You know who you are and I know you read my blog!

I believe that if you give, you shall be rewarded. Now everyone get out there and perform a random act of kindess today.

The Clock Tics...Children Die

The clock tics and children die. Every minute counts.

At a fairly young age, most of us realize that life can be a challenge, even when everything goes according to plan. By the time we become parents, we’ve learned to expect a few bumps in the road. But no mother or father is ever prepared for the words “Your child has a brain tumor,” or “Your child has a spinal cord tumor.”

Before anything else is said, you know life will never be the same. An unexpected, unwanted entity has invaded the very center of your family’s world. All at once, the triumphs and trials of everyday existence hold little importance.

The specter of brain cancer can be overwhelming, especially in children. Against such odds, it often seems easy to surrender to despair. Yet just as often it is the children themselves who supply the emotional foundation for hope. The courage and determination of these children and their families is just amazing.

The symptoms of brain tumors in a child often mimic those of common childhood illnesses. Because the symptoms are similar, a brain tumor is not always diagnosed when the symptoms first occur. If the symptoms persist, a parent may become increasingly concerned and ask for additional tests to determine the cause. Sometimes a child’s doctor or teacher may notice physical changes in the child that are unusual.

There is no known cause or cure of a brain tumor. They strike our children with little warning and no mercy.

It is up to us, the private sector to do all we can to support pediatric brain tumor research.

Please join us today, tomorrow, next week, etc. and make a difference. Give children HOPE.

All you need to do is skip one fast food meal and donate your lunch money to Brown Bag For A Cure. All donations go directly to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, that is also the largest non-governmental funding agency in the world for this research.

America....

The clock is ticking for our kids. Every minute and every dollar counts. Be a hero for the kids today ...

Dear Friends

Dear Friends,

As some of you know, I lost my job with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and out of that journey, Brown Bag For A Cure was born. I am thankful for the many opportunities that were given to me during my employment with them. I got to travel to many cities and meet some amazing children and their families.. Sadly some of those children are no longer with us.

Brown Bag For A Cure is my vision of how we can all make a difference. Today many struggle with day to day living expenses and many of you have already made a donation, showing your true character and dedication to helping find a cure for the cancer that kills more children than any other. The 2008 goal was set at $25,00

My thinking was it would be so easy to find 5,000 caring individuals, who would make a $5.00 contribution. Even if you support another organization, what is $5.00? It's the price of an average fast food meal or a cup of latte.

Time is running out and my vision is about to be crushed. I chose not to invest part of your donations into rubber bracelets, magnets, etc. I chose to donate every cent you donated to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, my former employer.

Please re-consider and help me.
5000 people x $5.00 donation = $25,000
2500 people x $10.00 donation =$25,000
1000 people x $25.00 donation =$25,000

Make your donation online at our secure wehsite: Please Donate Here

Mail your donation to me: Kathy/Brown Bag For A Cure, 9282 Monongahela Tr., Ashland, VA 23005 Checks or money orders are never made to me, but to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and I will forward them on to Asheville.

Brown Bag For A Cure is about finding a cure for pediatric brain tumors and ending the suffering.

Check out my website: Brown Bag For A Cure

On this blog, you will find links to websites for so many children who are counting on us.

I beLIeVE In A Cure, do you?

As you are thinking about whether to help or not, take a quick peak at the "Littlest Soldiers", who are counting on us.

Please Pray for Brayden

Update: I am sorry to have to tell everyone, Brayden earned his wings, Tuesday evening, May 27, 2008, at 10:40 PM.



Please pray for Brayden and his family.

Brayden Kenseth Harrell was born March 19, 2003. He is 5 years old and lives in Pelham, Georgia. Brayden was diagnosed on July 18, 2007with a tumor on his brainstem. The type of tumor he has is called a Pontine Glioma it is highly aggressive, highly malignant, treatment resistant and recurrent.

Brayden's family made one of the hardest decisions of their life yesterday. After meeting with his doctors in Atlanta, they made the wrenching to decision to stop treatments and take him home, where he can be in peace.

Hospice has been called in and they start today (Sunday). Brayden's expected timeline is 2-6 weeks.

Please continue to pray for peace for this Sweet Angel.

If you would like to leave a message here, I will forward them to his family.

Remember The "Littlest Soldiers"

As we approach the Memorial Day weekend, please take time to thank a servicemen or woman, past and present for their service. Without them, we would not enjoy the many freedoms we do today.

Also, please take time to pray and remember our "Littlest Soldiers"

The Littlest Soldiers

The medals on our chests
Are portacaths for meds
Helmets won't stay on
Cause no hair is on our heads.

Our weapons of destruction
We take every day
We fight the battle within us
While we struggle on to play.

We fight with honor and courage
No marine could do as well
We are only little children
Living in this hell.

So bring on the medals
The Purple Hearts of Wars
The Gold Cross, The Silver Star
To place upon our scars.

For We are the Children of Cancer
No one has fought so hard
But every day we struggle on
Our LIFE is our reward.

by Cheryl Jagannathan


Video Tribute To A Few Of Our "Littlest Soldiers"

$6 Million Grant To Duke

PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION GIVES
$6 MILLION GRANT TO DUKE
$12 million total funding to PBTF Institute at Duke accelerates search for cure

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (May 14, 2008) /PRNewswire/ – The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF) is giving an additional $6 million grant to its research institute at Duke University, bringing total funding for the program to $12 million.

Duke will use the funds to continue to sharpen its research focus on pediatric brain tumors, which are the leading cause of cancer death in children and adolescents. Four out of 10 children with a brain tumor die within five years of diagnosis, a statistic the PBTF intends to improve through its research institute program.

"The goal of this grant is to translate our understanding of childhood brain tumors into novel, less-invasive treatment methods," said Dianne Traynor, PBTF Director of Research Funding and Advocacy.

"The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation Institute at Duke is the largest basic research collaborative in existence for pediatric brain tumors," Traynor continued. "It brings together established brain tumor researchers and scientists using platform technologies developed for other cancer types. Their work utilizes the disciplines of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, cell biology and developmental biology to better understand childhood brain tumors."

The PBTF Institute at Duke is directed by one of the world's pre-eminent brain tumor researchers, Darell Bigner, M.D., Ph.D. "We're working first to unravel the molecular mechanisms that drive these cancer cells," Bigner said. "Then we can develop new treatments that won't damage the brain the way older treatments do."

Researchers at Duke share their results with their counterparts at the three other PBTF Institutes, housed at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, and the University of California, San Francisco. Current funding of the entire PBTF Institute program stands at $13 million.

While several PBTF fundraising efforts support this work, most donations come from the Ride for Kids® program, with long-standing sponsorship from the American Honda Motor Company.

About the PBTF
The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF), a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Asheville, N.C., is the world's largest non-governmental funder of childhood brain tumor research. Its programs include free educational information about brain tumors, Internet conferences, college scholarships for brain tumor survivors, and Ride for Kids® motorcycle charity events.

Note: When you make a donation to Brown Bag For A Cure, your money goes to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.

Help My Dream Become A Reality

I receive email almost daily asking me if I have a child or lost a child to a brain tumor. The answer is no to both questions. Here's my story....

In 2003, I attended an organizational meeting for a Ride For Kids® (RFK) event that was in the planning stages for our area. I immediately jumped onboard with both feet. I have been a volunteer and fund-raiser for the Ride For Kids® / Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation since that day. I was even offered a part time job with the foundation, which I took and loved for 3 years. As of this past September, I no longer work for them.

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity travel to many states and meet so many wonderful families. I can't put into words what the children mean to me. I love each and everyone of you and will miss seeing you more than you know. You will always be in my heart.

To say the least, I was devastated at loosing my job, but at the encouragement of friends, I decided to check into forming my own foundation, so Brown Bag For A Cure was born. No, we are not an official foundation yet, so for 2008 we a raising money for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Your online donation goes directly to them and checks are made out to them.

Now a whole new world has opened up to me. I have met so many more wonderful families right here on the internet, through carepages, caringbridge, facebook, myspace, blogging, etc. I treasure each one of you and your story. My heart breaks at times and I celebrate your victories.

What is Brown Bag For A Cure? It is a simple concept that came to me in the middle of the night. I know times are hard for many and there are so many worthy charities, so I wanted to create something that everyone could participate in.

My dream is to find 5000 caring individuals who will skip one fast food meal and donate that money to my mission....

5000 x $5.00 = $25,000 for pediatric brain tumor research.

If you can spare $5.00, please help a cause that was born and lives here on the internet. I take no money from your donations.

Brown Bag For A Cure lives in the hearts of the caring people that make this internet community what it is. Whether you are a mom, dad, brother, sister, grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, neighbor, friend, or just someone who wants to give HOPE to the thousands of children who live each day praying for a medical miracle, please make just a $5.00 donation. Maybe you would like to skip lunch in memory of a child you know, who lost their battle.

My motto is...TEAM...Together Each Accomplishes More!

Please join our TEAM...No we're not doctors...Yes, your donation funds doctors...The clock tics and children die. Every minute and every dollar counts.

A child you will probably never meet may be alive, not just days, but years from now, because you cared enough to brown bag your lunch and donate what you would have spent.

Research is the only way we will ever be able to save our children from this monster called a brain tumor. The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation funds more pediatric brain tumor research than any other organization, other than the federal government.

Once you have attended a Ride For Kids® event, you will be hooked too!

Checks should be made out to the: Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation

Please mail your tax-deductible donation today:

Brown Bag For A Cure/Team Straughn
9282 Monongahela Trail
Ashland, VA 23005

To Honor You

I discovered this poem on another website and wanted to share with all your moms and dads of children who are now Angels.

To Honor You

To honor you, I get up every day
And take a breath
And start another day
Without you in it.

To honor you, I laugh and love
With those who knew your smile,
And the way your eyes sparkled with joy,
Full of life.

To honor you, I take the time
To appreciate everyone I love.
I know now there is no guarantee
Of days or hours spent in their presence.

You are the light of my life,
My gift of love
From our Heavenly Father.

So every day, I vow to make a difference,
Share a smile, live, laugh, and love.
Now I live for us both.
So all I do, I do to honor you,
My precious, beautiful child.

Author Unknown

Note: I vow to Make A Difference and Honor Your Memory by doing all that is within my power to raise funds for research, so one day we will have a cure. You have my promise on this.

LIVESTRONG Day is May 13th. Celebrate LIVESTRONG Day by uniting to fight cancer.

Maybe Tonight, Maybe Tomorrow Lyrics

I heard the news today. It came out of nowhere.

I wish I could run away,but where would I go?

Is this my destiny? Something so unfair... What will become of me?
God only knows.

And they say the road to heaven might lead us back through hell.
Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, we will win this fight and bury this sorrow.

We're so alive, still holding on, not ready to die, so we LIVESTRONG.

My pride is left for dead, as my world gets shaken.

The thoughts inside my head are so hard to control.

I am staring down the unknown, but one thing is certain.

You could break my body, but you will never break my soul.

And they say the road to heaven might leads us back through hell, but we're holding on for more than stories to tell.

Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, we will win this fight and bury this sorrow.

We're so alive, still holding on, not ready to die, so we LIVESTRONG.

Today is a great day to brown bag your lunch and donate your lunch money for brain cancer research.

Brain Tumor Action Week

Today is Day 3 of Brain Tumor Action Week. Please watch this Brain Tumor Awareness Video



After watching this video and listening to the words of this song, do you care enough to Brown Bag Your Lunch?

Not one child in this video expected or deserved to get a brain tumor. Not one parent, one brother or sister, grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin or friend asked to have their loved one attacked by this monster!

Pediatric brain tumors strike our children with little warning and no mercy. Why? Who knows? There is no cause or cure.

The federal government funds very little research into searching for a cure either. The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation is the largest non-governmental funding agency in the world for pediatric brain tumor research. When you make a donation to Brown Bag For A Cure, that is where you donation goes.

So today or tomorrow or next week, when you take a bite out of your burger or whatever is on the menu that day, think about the children with brain tumors. Remember their sweet faces and know there are thousands more just like them. Children who did not ask for this monster to attack them. Children who dream of growing up and becoming a teacher, doctor, dancer, fireman or whatever their dreams are.

Please Brown Bag Your Lunch and make a donation to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Your donation is tax deductible.

The children in this photo collage now enjoy lunch with God and thousands of other children who fought a brave fight against a brain tumor and lost.

Just A Fast Food Meal

The average fast food meal is $5.00. I remember the days when fast food burger was 15 cents.

I have a mission is to find 5000 people who will give up a fast food meal and donate the $5.00 bucks for pediatric tumor research.

Would you please be a "Hero" to children with a brain tumor. It only takes a couple minutes and $5.00 to become a "Hero". Of course, if you would like to donate more, you will be a "Super Hero".

I started "Brown Bag For A Cure" in an effort to save children with brain tumors, the most deadly of all childhood cancers.

Brain tumors affect the most innocent of all victims, our children. Children who just want to grow up and have a future. And out of the blue, it hits them without warning and no mercy.

Brain tumors are extremely difficult cancer to treat and beat. Thousands of kids fight this battle every day with little guarantee of a future. Why? There is no cure and funding for research is very limited.

The concept is simple...Please brown bag your lunch for a day and donate what you would have spent on a fast food meal for pediatric brain tumor research. Challenge your friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc. to join you. The more "Heroes" the better.

All funds raised through "Brown Bag For A Cure" go directly to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.

There are 2 ways to donate. We have a secure online website www.firstgiving.com/brownbagforcure or you may mail your check or money order, made out to PBTF to:

Brown Bag For A Cure, 9282 Monongahela Tr., Ashland, VA 20005

One lunch at a time, a simple effort to find a cure and remove this horrible disease from the face of the earth.

Please do it for the children....Maybe you know a child you would like to make a donation in honor or memory of.

If Everyone Cared...

If everyone cared and nobody cried...

If everyone loved and nobody lied...

If everyone shared and swollowed their pride...

Then we'd see the day, when nobody died...

To me, these are powerful words and if you actually listen to the song by Nickelback, they will speak directly to your heart.



After watching this video and listening to the words of this song, do you care enough to Brown Bag Your Lunch?

Not one child in this video expected or deserved to get a brain tumor. Not one parent, one brother or sister, grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin or friend asked to have their loved one attacked by this monster!

Pediatric brain tumors strike our children with little warning and no mercy. Why? Who knows? There is no cause or cure.

The federal government funds very little research into searching for a cure either. The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation is the largest non-governmental funding agency in the world for pediatric brain tumor research. When you make a donation to Brown Bag For A Cure, that is where you donation goes.

So today or tomorrow or next week, when you take a bite out of your burger or whatever is on the menu that day, think about the children with brain tumors. Remember their sweet faces and know there are thousands more just like them. Children who did not ask for this monster to attack them. Children who dream of growing up and becoming a teacher, doctor, dancer, fireman or whatever their dreams are.

Please Brown Bag Your Lunch and make a donation to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Your donation is tax deductible.

Click Here To Make a Secure Online Donation

10,000 Cancer Siblings

Every day in this country, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer. And every day, the brothers and sisters of these children are thrust into a world of experiences that will leave a lasting mark on their lives forever.

This mark may be a positive influence to negotiate life moving forward or it may be a painful "scar" from which to heal. Over 10,000 new siblings are affected each year, as their brother or sister is diagnosed with cancer.

Siblings often feel insignificant and are left alone on the sidelines. We need to help these brothers and sisters feel special, important and recognized.

The following are the experiences and advice from several families on ways to help the brothers and sisters cope:


Make sure that you explain cancer and its treatment to the siblings in terms that they understand. Create a climate of openness, so that they can ask questions and know that they will get answers. If you don't know the answer to a question, write it on your list to ask the doctor at the next appointment, or ask your child if he would like to go to the appointment with you and ask the question himself.

Make sure that all the children clearly understand that cancer is not contagious. They cannot catch it, nor can their ill brother give it to anyone else. Impress upon them that nothing the parents or brothers and sisters did caused the cancer.

Bring home a picture of the brother or sister in the hospital, and carry a tape recorder back and forth to relay songs and messages

It is very hard for mothers and babies or toddlers to be separated. Some families leave out family photo albums for the caregiver to show the toddler whenever she gets sad.

Try to spend time alone with each sibling.

If people only comment on the sick child, try to bring the conversation back to include the sibling. For example, if someone exclaims, "Oh look how good Lisa looks," you could say, "Yes, and Martha has an attractive new haircut, too. Don't you like it?"

Share your feelings about the illness and its impact on the family. Say, "I'm sad that I have to bring your sister to the hospital a lot. I miss you when I'm gone." This allows the sibling an opportunity to tell you how she is feeling. Try to make the illness a family project by expressing how the family will stick together to beat it

Include siblings in decision making on matters such as how chores will be done, or devise a schedule for parent time with the healthy children.

Allow siblings to be involved in the medical aspects of their sister or brother's illness, if they wish it. Often the reality of clinic visits and overnight stays are easier than what siblings imagine. Many siblings are a true comfort when they hold their sister or brother's hand during spinal taps or bone marrows.

Give lots of hugs and kisses.

Be sure to alert teachers of siblings about the tremendous stress at home. Many children respond to the worries about cancer by developing behavior or academic problems at school. Teachers should be vigilant for the warning signals, and provide extra support or tutoring for the stressed child or teen. Continue to communicate frequently with the teachers of the siblings to make sure you are aware of any developing problems.

Expect your other children to have some behavior problems as part of living with cancer in the family. This is a normal, not pathological, response.

The child with cancer receives many toys and gifts resulting in hurt feelings or jealousy in the siblings. Provide gifts and tokens of appreciation to the siblings for helping out during hard times, and encourage your sick child to share.

Encourage a close relationship between an adult relative or neighbor and your other children. Having a "someone special" when the parents are frequently absent can help prevent problems and help your child to feel cared for and loved.

Take advantage of any workshops, support groups, or camps for siblings. These can be of tremendous value for siblings, providing fun and friendships with others who truly understand their feelings.


After stating all of the above potential troubles that your children might experience, it is important to note that many siblings exhibit great warmth and active caretaking while their brother or sister is being treated for cancer. Their empathy and compassion seem to grow with the crisis. Some brothers and sisters of children with cancer feel that they have benefited from the stressful experience in many ways, such as increased knowledge about disease, increased empathy for the sick or disabled, increased sense of responsibility, enhanced self-esteem, greater maturity and coping ability, and increased family closeness. Many of these siblings mature into adults interested in the caring professions, such as medicine, social work, or teaching. Character can grow from confronting personal crisis, and many parents speak of the siblings with admiration and pride.

No matter how you put it...Cancer Sucks...Brain Tumors Suck and we must do all within our power to find a cure. The only way we can find a cure is by supporting research and research costs a lot of money. Please donate any amount you can to cancer research.