IT’S CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
HERE’S WHAT MATTERS MOST!
Pediatric glioblastoma is among the most lethal and devastating childhood cancers. My family has lived this journey Documentary Film.mov – Google Drive
The truth is stark: progress has been painfully slow—not for lack of brilliant scientists or promising technologies, but because too many institutions choose competition over collaboration.
Prestigious centers are hoarding patient data, research findings, and funding. Some are even diverting scarce dollars away from hospitals that urgently need support, while building financial reserves far beyond what is required.
The result? Duplication of effort. Fragmented silos. Wasted time. Vast regions of the country without adequate resources. And while institutions protect their turf, children continue to die from a disease that has seen little meaningful progress in decades.
Over the past 50 years, billions of dollars and countless hours have been invested. Yet the return on that investment has been negligible. The culprit is clear: a siloed culture that donors have—often unknowingly—funded. We all know what must change.
If a cure is to be found, collaboration and transparency must replace competition and concealment. Institutions must explicitly commit to collaboration in their mission statements. This demands a culture shift—and donors have the leverage to make it happen.
What You Can Demand as a Donor:
- Open Data Sharing – Require institutions to share patient and research data without delay or restriction.
- Collaborative Trials – Expand access for families by insisting on multi-institutional clinical trials.
- Collective Investment – Direct funding toward shared infrastructure—biobanks, genomic commons, AI platforms—where every dollar multiplies impact.
- Accountability – Ensure donor intent is honored; funds must advance cures, not inflate reserves.
Every child lost is a reminder that fractured efforts cost lives. A cure will not emerge from one laboratory or one hospital; it will come only from a unified front.
Your investment is precious. Make it count—insist that it fuels collaboration, transparency, and urgency. Together, we can demand results. Make your pledge below.
Click to sign the Donor Pledge for Collaboration in Pediatric Brain Cancer Research
