10 Lives Saved

You may have seen (on my other blogs, or on the Ben Towne Foundation website and facebook page) that we attended the Ben Towne Foundation's #BTFBenefit2014 last Friday evening. What you may not know (though I hope you do) is that the Katie Gerstenberger Endowment supports the same research that the Ben Towne Foundation funds. The income which accrues on the principal of the endowment goes to the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research.

#BTFBenefit2014

On Friday evening, we celebrated this news from the Ben Towne Center:
- a clinical trial for the treatment of neuroblastoma has been submitted to the FDA for approval and
- 10 PATIENTS who have been treated with T-cell therapy ARE IN REMISSION!

Ten patients who had experienced relapse, who had no other treatment options - whose hope for a cure was completely exhausted, and were facing death - those ten children are now in remission.

Ten families are not heartbroken today - parents, siblings, extended family and community - have their precious, beloved child with them. Ten families did not have to sign "do not resuscitate" forms, did not have to request hospice care, did not have to plan a memorial service, pick a headstone, face an empty bedroom.

Ten.

Your donations to the Katie Gerstenberger Endowment support this ground-breaking, life-restoring work. Thank you!

My Heart Overflows

Just a few minutes ago, I received a link to a live donation page for the  
Katie Gerstenberger Endowment 
for Cancer Research at Seattle Children's Hospital. This came about because one of Gregg's cousins is planning a party for her daughter's birthday, and in lieu of presents for the soon-to-be one-year old, Aria, she is going to ask for donations to Katie's endowment. What a generous and thoughtful woman - thank you, Rebecca! 

Our representative at Seattle Children's Foundation, Carly, was able to coordinate the creation of this page (in less than a week - thank you, Carly!), making donations easy-as-pie for Rebecca's guests and EVERYONE else who wants to support T-Cell therapy cancer research in the Jensen Lab at the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research at Seattle Children's Research Institute. Check out the page - it's so cool - and feel free to share it with others! If you forget the link, just think of Katie's Endowment, because the page address is https://giveto.seattlechildrens.org/katies-endowment.

My heart is overflowing with gratitude and joy. Happy May Day!