Dean’s Letter – December 2024

I love seeing pictures of our Rally Kids. But this one of 10-year-old #RallyKid Caroline hugging her older brother, Jack, hit me right in the gut. The love and connection captured in that embrace tells a story of resilience and hope in the face of unimaginable challenges. For most of her young life, Caroline has been fighting a relentless brain tumor — this is the only life she’s ever known.

Caroline is fierce, spunky and incredibly courageous. She has endured countless rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, scans, pokes and surgeries. Yet, no matter what, she keeps a smile on her face that lights up the room. Her bravery inspires everyone who meets her, but the battle she faces is not one any child should have to endure.

Sadly, Caroline’s story is not unique. Too many families, like Caroline’s and Brielle’s, are faced with the impossible. Treatment options for pediatric cancers are heartbreakingly limited, and some are simply unavailable.

Clinical trials — the lifeline that could save these kids — are often stopped because they are underfunded. Promising treatments often languish in laboratories due to lack of funding. A novel idea from a researcher might hold the key to a cure, yet without financial support, it remains just that: an idea.

That’s where you come in. You have the power to change these heartbreaking realities.

Kids fighting cancer are our “why” at Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research.

Every child deserves the chance to fight, and your donations make that fight possible. Your support fuels the innovative, peer-reviewed research that brings life-saving treatments from the lab bench to the bedside. It helps us advocate on Capitol Hill, urging lawmakers to increase federal funding for pediatric cancer research — because every child like Caroline and Brielle deserves a fighting chance.

Your generosity goes beyond research. It provides critical support to families grappling with the financial, emotional and physical toll of childhood cancer. Families face staggering medical debt, food insecurity and unimaginable stress. Parents should be focused on caring for their children, not worrying about how they will afford groceries or gas. Your donation eases their burden and shows them they are not fighting alone.

As the year comes to a close, I ask you to consider making a gift that brings hope to families like Caroline’s and Brielle’s:

• $50,000 will fully fund a childhood cancer research grant, enabling groundbreaking studies that could bring us closer to a cure.
• $25,000 will help move promising research to clinical trials, bringing life-saving treatments closer to children in need.
• $10,000 will fund the work of a young investigator, supporting the next generation of scientists in developing new therapies.
• $5,000 will provide support for families traveling for critical treatments, alleviating their financial strain during an already difficult time.
• $2,500 will support peer-reviewed research, advancing innovative ideas and solutions in childhood cancer.
• $1,000 will provide essential financial relief for families, helping cover bills like rent or utilities while they focus on their child’s care and recovery.
• $500 will provide meals for families in the hospital, easing one more burden so they can focus on their child’s healing.
• $100 will help cover travel costs for a Rally Kid to meet with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., advocating for increased support for childhood cancer research.

Your generosity transforms hopelessness into hope, despair into determination, and fear into courage. You are the difference.

Thank you for standing with us and believing that every child deserves the chance to fight. Together, we can make an enduring impact. Thank you for your heart, your support and for believing in the power of hope.

Together, we Rally On!

Dean Crowe, Founder and CEO

Update December 22, 2024: This is not an easy update to write. Caroline earned her angel wings today. We miss our fierce, spunky and incredibly courageous girl. And we promised her that we will Rally On! It is hard but we will.