What is Retinoblastoma?
In simple terms, retinoblastoma is an eye cancer that develops in the immature cells of the retina. Though it is rare—with approximately...
What is Wilms Tumor?
Wilms tumor is a type of kidney cancer that primarily develops in children around the ages of three and four. It’s the most common type of...
Cancer in Teens and Young Adults
Childhood cancer is a big problem. In the U.S. alone, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer every school day. But it doesn’t just affect...
What is Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)?
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a blood cancer of the myeloid cells that normally form white blood cells, red blood cells or platelets....
Dean’s Letter – December 2025
Twenty years ago, Rally was birthed from a prayer circle in a driveway. William Olson, a junior in high school, was battling brain cancer...
A Message From Nora
Hi! My name is Nora. I am 7 years old and I have a blood cancer called ALL — for a second time. The first time, I was 4 years old and I...
Rally Kid Nora: Fighting for Her Future — Again.
Dance, tumbling, playing outside and all things pink — these are the joys that light up Rally Kid Nora’s world. She loves to go to school...
Nora’s Journey With Cancer: The Spirit of a Fighter
Like most 4-year-old girls, Nora was full of life — happy, energetic and always on the go. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until her...
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month 2025
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month — and this year, Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research is celebrating 20 years of...
What’s One Hour of Your Time Worth?
Some people think of volunteering as a nice gesture. But in the fight against childhood cancer, it’s a lifeline. Volunteers are the...
What is Retinoblastoma?
In simple terms, retinoblastoma is an eye cancer that develops in the immature cells of the retina. Though it is rare—with approximately 300 children diagnosed in the U.S. each year—it is the most common eye cancer in children. This malignant intraocular cancer rarely occurs in adults. Retinoblastoma can occur in one or both eyes and is caused by genetic mutations in the nerve cells of the retina. The retina is comprised of nerve tissue and is the part of the eye that’s responsible for sensing...
What is Wilms Tumor?
Wilms tumor is a type of kidney cancer that primarily develops in children around the ages of three and four. It’s the most common type of kidney cancer found in kids. Approximately 9 out of 10 kidney cancers in children are Wilms tumors, sometimes known as nephroblastoma. There are two types of Wilms tumors that are classified by their histology, or how they look microscopically: favorable histology and anaplastic histology. A Wilms tumor with favorable histology means that, while the tumor...
Cancer in Teens and Young Adults
Childhood cancer is a big problem. In the U.S. alone, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer every school day. But it doesn’t just affect school-age children -- babies, teens, and young adults can get childhood cancer, too. In the last 20 years, thanks to research, many more young children and older adults are surviving their cancers. But that’s not the case for teens and young adults. Teens and young adults are unique. Their cancers are different, their bodies are different, and they face...
What is Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)?
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a blood cancer of the myeloid cells that normally form white blood cells, red blood cells or platelets. AML originates in the bone marrow, where the leukemia cells build up and overcrowd normal cells. The leukemia cells often move into the bloodstream fairly quickly. AML is the second most common form of childhood leukemia, after acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). AML is much more common in adults versus children; the average age of diagnosis is 68. There are...
Dean’s Letter – December 2025
Twenty years ago, Rally was birthed from a prayer circle in a driveway. William Olson, a junior in high school, was battling brain cancer for the second time. A group of women gathered in the driveway three days a week for over a year to pray him through treatment. That is where I started learning about childhood cancer. It was awful. One day William had a horrific reaction to a transfusion and almost died. I looked at William’s mom and asked a simple question that changed everything: “What...
A Message From Nora
Hi! My name is Nora. I am 7 years old and I have a blood cancer called ALL — for a second time. The first time, I was 4 years old and I had to miss a lot of fun things because I was in the hospital. It wasn’t fun doing the treatments, and we had to go to another city for my medicines. After a while I got to go back to my dance and tumbling classes with my friends. I love playing with my brothers, too! But then the cancer came back. I was so sad. We have to go to a hospital in another town,...