On International Women's Day: Speak Up for Children with Cancer

In honor of International Women's Day, today, I share a story about the little girl who changed my life and inspired my career: my daughter, Maddy. #IWD25

When I was looking at my favorite pictures on my phone today, it took me a full minute of scrolling to get to the last, “favorited” picture I took of my daughter, Maddy. Why? She died from a rare cancer on August 13th, 2022. She was 14 months old. Maddy should be here with her twin sister, playing, laughing, living. We should have found a cure - and her disease was too aggressive and modern medicine had no chance against the cancer inside her little body.

How is it that in a world where we can capture every special moment of our lives, where all answers to questions are just a “hey siri” away, where we discovered a vaccine for a world-wide pandemic in less than a year; that we still do not have a cure for cancer? For babies with cancer? For all children with cancer?

I share this today because of the disgraceful leveraging of children happening in our country—so much talk, and no action to save our kids. I share this to ask you to act. To stand up for our kids and ensure that childhood cancer funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is not just maintained but increased. And that clinical trials are FULLY FUNDED. Because that’s what saves lives.

Here are the stark realities:

• Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death in children over the age of one.
• 15,000 children are diagnosed each year.
• For every child lost to cancer, we lose 70 potential years of life.

It’s staggering to think that Maddy was diagnosed with cancer almost four years ago. It feels like a lifetime ago. And yet today, as research funding for pediatric cancer faces cuts, I want to be clear: Research matters - it gave Maddy more time to live. Equity in childhood cancer saves lives - Maddy had access to the best chance at a cure. Because when your child is dying from a disease that has no cure, you don’t just give up, you fight.

To put it simply, equity is defined in our space as: “Every child having a fair chance to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.” It’s non-negotiable. Every child has the right to survive.

Every year, 15,000 children in the United States are diagnosed with cancer. Among them, 4,000 live in poverty. Research led by Dr. Kira Bona—the nation’s leading expert in childhood cancer equity and access—reveals a devastating truth: Children with high-risk cancers who rely on Medicaid alone have a 25% higher relapse rate and are significantly more likely to die than children with private insurance. This is unacceptable. And, as Dr. Bona has told us, it is solvable.

Families facing both pediatric cancer and financial hardship experience significantly worse treatment outcomes and survivorship. They face a high risk of bankruptcy, with 42% of parents leaving their jobs to care for their sick child. Pediatric cancer treatments last, on average, over a year. More than 1 in 5 U.S. cancer patients struggle to meet basic needs, with even higher rates among historically marginalized communities, including Black and Hispanic families and those living in poverty. Economic instability limits access to the best care, worsening disparities.

I refuse to accept that any child should suffer or die because their family couldn’t afford the best care. And I invite you to refuse that reality, too.

Talk to your Congress people today and tell them to pass GIVE KIDS A CHANCE ACT, HR 1262 and speak up to do your part here.

Maddy was in the hospital for over 100 days of her 14 months of life. Take five minutes to speak up. Because time is precious.