Braden's Hope for Childhood Cancer and Children's Mercy Announce $3 Million Reasons to Hope
Braden’s Hope is a Kansas City based charity that raises awareness and funds for precision-based research to cure childhood cancers. They are excited to announce that they are awarding $3,000,000 to Children’s Mercy researchers in conjunction with The University of Kansas Cancer Center researchers to find therapies that shut down the activators of childhood cancers and bring children hope for a future.
“The best science takes place when egos are left at the door, it’s truly a collaborative effort and, the end of the day, no one remembers who had the best idea; but we’re all excited about the direction we’re heading,” said Dr. Tom Curran, Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Director of the Children’s Research Institute at Children’s Mercy.
Childhood cancer is the #1 killer by disease among children yet ALL childhood cancers combined receive less than 4% of the National Institute of Health’s budget. Braden’s Hope and its supporters understand that we must level the playing field for children with cancer. This is why Braden’s Hope is honored to invest in childhood cancer research right here in Kansas City.
Braden’s Hope will award three $1,000,000 research grants over the next three years to collaborative teams led by Children’s Mercy and The University of Kansas Cancer Center. Research studies at this level of funding will deliver an incredible impact toward finding cures for childhood cancer so no child has to hear the words “no known cure” as the organization’s namesake, Braden Hofen, did when he was just five years old.
Braden was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at the age of 3 and given a 30% chance for survival for five years. His neuroblastoma relapsed at the age of 5 and Braden and his family were told that there was no known cure for his cancer and there was less than a 10% chance for a five-year survival. Three months after his relapse, Braden’s mom, Deliece was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer. Deliece had many precision-based (targeted) therapies for her cancer because research had been done and that hope existed for her. It did not for her son. This is when Braden’s family and friends decided that they needed to act and help bring hope to children with cancer.
“What shocked me was the drastic difference in our treatment options,” Deliece said. “My therapy was targeted for my specific disease. Cancer treatment for kids lags way behind and is desperately under-funded. Braden’s Hope funds research to find the activators of childhood cancers, or the switch that flips and makes a cell become cancerous, then research for targeted treatments to shut down those activators. Our goal is to put ourselves out of business and find a cure, so other families never have to hear the words ‘no known cure.’”
After a battle with a secondary leukemia, today Braden is in remission from both of his cancers and will turn 13 on September 9. TAKE THAT cANCER!
The hearts and hands of the people of Kansas City are working through Braden’s Hope For Childhood Cancer to benefit our local research institutions. Local businesses and individuals donate their time, energy, support, and dollars to benefit local research institutions to help children with cancer and that is truly an amazing gift of hope.
Please join us on September 1 from 8:15-9:30 for our formal launch of our $3 Million Reasons to Hope promise. The event will be at the Hyatt Conference Center in Lenexa at 8741 Ryckert St, Lenexa, KS 66219
Deliece Hofen, President of Braden’s Hope, Dr. Tom Curran, Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Director of the Children’s Research Institute at Children’s Mercy, Dr. Roy Jensen, Director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center and nearly 200 volunteers and donors will be present to share in this momentous celebration.
Thank you for your kindness, support, and HOPE Kansas City!
Learn more about the Children's Research Institute at Children's Mercy.
Learn more about the Children's Mercy Cancer Center.