Why We Exist
The realities of childhood cancer
Worldwide, 400,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. And in the U.S., more children die of childhood cancer than any other disease—more than AIDS, asthma, cystic fibrosis, congenital anomalies and diabetes combined.
Over 99% of childhood cancer survivors have a chronic health problem because of the treatment they had as kids.
Childhood cancer isn't just one disease—there are over a dozen types of childhood cancer and countless subtypes, each requiring specific research to develop the best treatment for every child.
Since drugs created for childhood cancers are not profitable, most are only approved for kids years after they are first approved for adults.
The National Cancer Institute has nearly doubled its investment in childhood cancer research in recent years due to greater advocacy and awareness, but more research funding is needed to develop new, safe therapies for kids with cancer.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation exists to change these realities
By working closely with leading pediatric oncologists, we determine the most promising research to fund and create funding priorities to make the greatest impact for children with cancer. Here are some creative ways we’re doing just that:
Providing hospitals the funds to open high-impact clinical trials for rare disease types, placing more children on studies to increase the rate of progress, while also increasing the likelihood for a child to receive the best treatment plan in a hospital near home.
Funding researchers to work together, so that research currently underway by the best and brightest investigators is shared between institutions, and even across continents, giving all children with cancer the best chance for a cure.
Training the next generation of researchers—in 2005, a shortage of pediatric oncologists was predicted, and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation stepped in to ensure that every child with cancer will have a doctor and tomorrow’s research will not be interrupted.
Funding supportive care research to improve the quality of life for patients and survivors. Supportive care research addresses the side effects of treatment, long-term effects faced by survivors, psychosocial aspects of childhood cancer and more.
While some organizations spread their research dollar between adult and children’s cancers, every grant funded by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation is for childhood cancer research.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation takes great care with every donor dollar, keeping the staff small, the expenses low and directing every possible dollar to childhood cancer research. Take a careful look at the expenses and see for yourself!
This can’t be done without you
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is volunteer and donor powered—from the founders who started it all to the volunteer who signed up today. You are the reason that the St. Baldrick’s Foundation can fund more grants than any organization besides the U.S. government. So get involved!