Curing Kids Cancer Inc

THE ORGANIZATION WAS FORMED IN 2005 AND IS DEDICATED TO CHANGING THE WORLD OF CHILDHOOD CANCER BY BRINGING AWARENESS TO CHILDHOOD CANCER AND BY FUNDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF TREATMENTS, PRIMARILY IN THE UNITED STATES, THAT ARE MORE EFFECTIVE AND LESS TOXIC THAN TRADITIONAL CHILDHOOD CANCER THERAPIES. THE ORGANIZATION ENVISIONS A WORLD WHERE CHILDREN DO NOT DIE OF CANCER AND DO NOT SUFFER FROM DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS OF THEIR TREATMENTS. THE ORGANIZATION'S FUNDING IS PRIMARILY THROUGH DIRECT DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS AND THROUGH FUNDRAISING EVENTS.

THE ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED BY GRAINNE AND CLAY OWEN AFTER THEY LOST ONE OF THEIR TWINS TO LEUKEMIA WHEN HE WAS NINE YEARS OLD. SINCE THE ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED IN 2005, THE CHARITY HAS RAISED OVER 18 MILLION DOLLARS. LAST YEAR ALONE, THE ORGANIZATION WAS ABLE TO FUND 16 DIFFERENT PROJECTS IN THE US AND CANADA TOTALING 1.6 MILLION. THE ORGANIZATION IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER CHARITIES BECAUSE THE FOCUS IS PURELY ON FUNDING UNIQUE CUTTING-EDGE PROJECTS, WHICH HAVE LED TO LIFE SAVING TREATMENTS. THEIR FUNDING IS STRATEGICALLY PLANNED TO COVER CERTAIN AREAS OF RAPID DEVELOPING RESEARCH, WHICH ENABLES THEM TO HELP THE DOCTORS TO PROVIDE MORE EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS MORE RAPIDLY. MAKING EFFECTIVE, LESS TOXIC TREATMENTS AVAILABLE WHEN NEEDED ARE CRUCIAL FACTORS WHEN TREATING CHILDREN CANCER. THE ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO FUND THE WORK OF DR. STEPHAN GRUPP ON CAR T CELL THERAPY. IT IS CONSIDERED THAT THIS TREATMENT COULD BE THE BASIS FOR THE FUTURE OF ALL CANCER TREATMENT. THE DOCTORS TAKE THE CHILD'S OWN T CELLS (WHICH FIGHT NORMAL INFECTIONS LIKE COLDS ETC.) AND GENETICALLY RE-ENGINEER THEM SO THAT THEY RECOGNIZE THE PROTEINS THAT ARE ONLY ON THE OUTSIDE OF LEUKEMIA CELLS BUT NOT ON NORMAL CELLS. THEY PUT THE RE-ENGINEERED T CELLS BACK INTO THE CHILD SO THAT THE CHILD'S OWN IMMUNE SYSTEM THEN FIGHTS THEIR CANCER WITHOUT NEEDING CHEMOTHERAPY OR RADIATION. IT HAS HAD AN UNHEARD OF 94% RESPONSE RATE IN THE CHILDREN TREATED SO FAR, MOST OF WHOM ARE ON HOSPICE CARE WHEN THEY RECEIVE THE TREATMENT. THIS TREATMENT ONLY COSTS ABOUT 25,000 PER CHILD TO RE- ENGINEER THE CHILDREN'S CELLS. CURING KIDS CANCER HAS BEEN ABLE TO SEE HOW THE MONEY THEY RAISE CAN ACTUALLY SAVE CHILDREN'S LIVES.