Volunteers are the heart of Rally's mission!
A Heartfelt Note of Thanks to Clarke and Kevin Byard of the Tennessee Titans
Dear Clarke and Kevin, I first had the pleasure of meeting you at our 2017 Rally On the Runway. At that time Jurrell Casey and his wife Ryann were our Honorary Chairs. You had already spent time with our Rally Kids, and Jurrell could see that you were ready to jump on board in a bigger way. Before he left the Titans and went on to play for the Denver Broncos in 2021, you were the ones to whom he knew he could pass the “Rally Torch.” Thus began our good fortune to get to know both of you better and continue to Rally On with the Tennessee Titans for kids with cancer. The awful year of Covid closed down the world and forced Rally to rethink how we could continue to raise awareness and funds for children with cancer. Kevin, you rose to the occasion when we spent a few hours videoing narrations for a virtual Rally On the Runway…it seemed like every time we had a perfect take, the train...
Elaine Kay is a guest on CityCurrent
Elaine Kay, Director of Rally Tennessee, joins host Jeremy C. Park on CityCurrent to share how Rally Tennessee began. To read the full article, please click here.
What is Rotationplasty?
If your child is diagnosed with osteosarcoma or Ewing sarcoma, both different types of bone cancer, near or around the knee, your doctor may recommend a procedure called rotationplasty. Other options include amputation and limb salvage surgery. Rotationplasty is a type of autograft that generally provides greater function than a standard above-the-knee amputation or limb salvage surgery. Rotationplasty gives a child a greater chance of participating in competitive sports. Ankle Serves as Knee Joint During this radical operation, the surgeon removes the affected part of the leg including the cancerous tumor near the knee. Then the lower section of the leg (shin bone, ankle and foot) is rotated 180 degrees so that the foot points backwards. The surgeon reattaches that part of the leg to the remaining thigh bone. As a result, the ankle now serves as a replacement knee joint. The patient...
What Is MIBG?
When your child is diagnosed with cancer, you have to learn a whole new language in just a few days. Terms, phrases, and abbreviations are used by healthcare professionals who deal with cancer every day. And it can leave you dazed. But sometimes it helps to use an acronym, for instance MIBG – which stands for metaiodeobenzylguanidine. Just try saying that ten times in a row! MIGB is used to treat neuroblastoma. This clear liquid consists of two materials: metaiodobenzylguanidine, or MIBG, and I-131, a radioactive material. The MIBG carries the radioactive I-131 specifically to your child’s tumors, where it targets the cancer cells over many weeks. Understanding the MIBG treatment process Before infusion Before your child receives MIBG, oral potassium iodide (also referred to as “SSKI”) is given to your child. This protects the thyroid from I-131. Your child will continue to take this...
Rally Awards Outside the Box Grants
Rally Awards Novel Grants to Three Childhood Cancer Researchers Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research (“Rally”) awarded $150,000 to three researchers at three different institutions for Outside the Box novel childhood cancer research ideas. “Rally sees itself as philanthropic seed investors in the next great discovery — we like to invest early and are willing to take risks because these Outside the Box ideas may pave the way to finding better treatments and cures,” says Dean Crowe, Founder and CEO. Each grant was dual peer-reviewed and only the highest scoring applications received funding. Rally is pleased to partner with Kids Join The Fight and cureMEC for this year’s competition. These Outside the Box Grants provide seed funding to three researchers for brand new ideas that directly address pediatric, adolescent and young adult brain cancer or myoepithelial carcinoma. ...
What a Difference a Decade Makes
May of 2013 brought the last dose of chemo for my daughter, Danielle. Back then it was hard to see or even think about what life would be like ten years down the road. Honestly, I wouldn’t even allow myself to look that far ahead. Danielle was diagnosed with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia in January of 2011. When the genetic testing came back on her leukemia about a month after diagnosis, it was not good news. She had all the bad markers and none of the good ones. I chose to focus on the fact that, one month in, she was responding well to treatment and was technically in remission. We just kept marching on. But it never left my mind that this unfavorable genetic news was lurking in the background. Her treatment had five phases with names…induction, consolidation, interim maintenance, delayed intensification and maintenance. As I lived in this world and watched other families...
A Heartfelt Note of Thanks to Clarke and Kevin Byard of the Tennessee Titans
Dear Clarke and Kevin, I first had the pleasure of meeting you at our 2017 Rally On the Runway. At that time Jurrell Casey and his wife Ryann were our Honorary Chairs. You had already spent time with our Rally Kids, and Jurrell could see that you were ready to jump on board in a bigger way. Before he left the Titans and went on to play for the Denver Broncos in 2021, you were the ones to whom he knew he could pass the “Rally Torch.” Thus began our good fortune to get to know both of you better...
Elaine Kay is a guest on CityCurrent
Elaine Kay, Director of Rally Tennessee, joins host Jeremy C. Park on CityCurrent to share how Rally Tennessee began. To read the full article, please click here.
What is Rotationplasty?
If your child is diagnosed with osteosarcoma or Ewing sarcoma, both different types of bone cancer, near or around the knee, your doctor may recommend a procedure called rotationplasty. Other options include amputation and limb salvage surgery. Rotationplasty is a type of autograft that generally provides greater function than a standard above-the-knee amputation or limb salvage surgery. Rotationplasty gives a child a greater chance of participating in competitive sports. Ankle Serves as Knee...
What Is MIBG?
When your child is diagnosed with cancer, you have to learn a whole new language in just a few days. Terms, phrases, and abbreviations are used by healthcare professionals who deal with cancer every day. And it can leave you dazed. But sometimes it helps to use an acronym, for instance MIBG – which stands for metaiodeobenzylguanidine. Just try saying that ten times in a row! MIGB is used to treat neuroblastoma. This clear liquid consists of two materials: metaiodobenzylguanidine, or MIBG, and...
Rally Awards Outside the Box Grants
Rally Awards Novel Grants to Three Childhood Cancer Researchers Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research (“Rally”) awarded $150,000 to three researchers at three different institutions for Outside the Box novel childhood cancer research ideas. “Rally sees itself as philanthropic seed investors in the next great discovery — we like to invest early and are willing to take risks because these Outside the Box ideas may pave the way to finding better treatments and cures,” says Dean Crowe,...
What a Difference a Decade Makes
May of 2013 brought the last dose of chemo for my daughter, Danielle. Back then it was hard to see or even think about what life would be like ten years down the road. Honestly, I wouldn’t even allow myself to look that far ahead. Danielle was diagnosed with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia in January of 2011. When the genetic testing came back on her leukemia about a month after diagnosis, it was not good news. She had all the bad markers and none of the good ones. I chose to focus on...