The Mission of Kids Beating Cancer

Our mission to provide access to life-saving treatments for children diagnosed with cancer, funding pediatric cancer research for improved outcomes, moving new discoveries to patient care, all while supporting children and their families throughout the journey to a cure.
Science is the Cure to Saving Children’s Lives.

OUR PHILOSOPHY FOR OUR PROGRAMS

Keep Hope Alive – Fight for a Cure for Every Child – Keep the Family Together

Kids Beating Cancer’s vision is to have a place dedicated to curing children. Kids Beating Cancer’s focus is on the belief we all strive for—the day when no child will die before they can experience the joy of life.

For parents of a child diagnosed with cancer or one of 80 malignant and non-malignant life-threatening diseases, we don’t want them to just hope for a cure. Kids Beating Cancer wants to be the conduit that makes a cure possible.

Removing barriers and burdens placed on families that limit their ability to access life-saving treatments, the best and only hope for a cure for their child is the goal Kids Beating Cancer accomplishes every day.

Kids Beating Cancer is a champion for these special children and their families, who only want what every parent wants: their child to be healthy, to beat cancer, and for the family to survive the long journey to a cure.

The heart of our mission: Saving Children’s Lives.

Did you know?

Three areas of support of Kids Beating Cancer

Research

Funding innovative pediatric cancer research projects at the top pediatric cancer research institutions nationwide to advance future treatments, improved outcomes, and cures, moving new discoveries to patient care.

• Emerging Scientist Grant
• Science is the Cure Grant
• John Voight Memorial Leukemia Research Grant

Treatment

The CLINICAL TRIALS program funds Clinical Trials for high-risk children and children in relapse in Central Florida, who would otherwise not have access to treatment, offering them their only hope for a cure.

Funding the establishment of the first pediatric transplant center in Central Florida in 2012 the Kids Beating Cancer Pediatric Transplant Center at AdventHealth for Children, so no child and family would have to leave Central Florida to receive a bone marrow or stem cell transplant.

Funding the latest advancements in Cellular Therapy Medical Technology previously not available in Central Florida with over 17 high tech, state-of-the-art equipment purchases that provides improved outcomes for the child and reduced healthcare costs at the new Kids Beating Cancer Cellular Therapy Facility at AdventHeath Orlando. Just some of the lifesaving impact of KBC Cellular Therapy purchases:

• The state-of-the-art CliniMACS Prodigy and Macs Quant machine that will enable CAR-T to be done in house at the ONLY facility in Florida that will do CAR-T for pediatric patients. This equipment will not only serve Central Florida children but has the potential to serve children from all over the state of Florida and beyond!
• This KBC funded equipment will allow the manufacture of cell therapy products depleted for alpha-beta T-cells, a cutting-edge therapy for reducing post-transplant Graft versus Host Disease (GVHD), a major complication after bone marrow/stem cell transplant.
• This KBC funded equipment will allow the manufacture of Natural Killer (NK), selected cell therapy products, that can recognize and eliminate tumor cells rapidly without prior sensitization. Clinical evidence has shown that donor-derived NK cells pose a low risk of inducing GVHD.

Children and Family Support

Supporting the children and families, REGARDLESS OF HOSPITAL AFFILIATION throughout their treatment process, while in the hospital and their outpatient follow-up years

BUNKY’S PALS PROGRAM

• Providing every child with a soft, cuddly Teddy Bear named Bunky and a comfy blanket (Nationwide)
• Providing milestone gifts to the children throughout their hospital stay at participating hospitals
• Providing backpacks filled with goodies and necessities when being Discharged from transplant at participating hospitals
• Providing fun activities for the children while in treatment at participating hospitals
• Providing Bicycles for children who wish to ride in Central Florida
• Providing fun filled seasonal Parties, Barbeques, Activities and Ticketed Events throughout the year for the family in Central Florida
• Providing clothing, dinner and hotel stay for children who walk in the annual Walk of Heroes at the Hats & Heroes Ball in Orlando Florida

MY ROOM PROGRAM

• Providing children while receiving treatment at participating hospitals a decorated, themed hospital room selected by the

FOOD FOR FAMILIES PROGRAM

• Providing a stocked Kitchen and Pantry while children receive a bone marrow or stem cell transplant at participating hospitals
• Providing weekly meals and snacks for the children while in treatment at participating hospitals