Ali's Wish:

Leading the Fight Against Childhood Cancer

It’s incomprehensible that children should get cancer and suffer. But, our world was turned upside down in 2003 when Ali was diagnosed at age four with a Wilms Tumor, a rare, aggressive cancer. More than anyone in the world, Ali lived each day fully and let nothing get in the way of her indomitable passion for life, laughter, and hearty embrace of it; Ali’s potential for growth, happiness, and fulfillment was seemingly endless and always infectious. Up to her last breath, she lived by her own terms and her life was a celebration of love and discovery. Ali died just three months before her ninth birthday.

The tragic death from cancer of our beloved and magnificent Ali was the beginning of a crusade for us.

The organization we founded, Ali’s Discovery, grew out of our frustration and need to do something positive for children with cancer and their parents in the face of the devastating pain and horrific loss we were feeling. We want to spare other families the terror, loneliness, anger and confusion that a diagnosis of cancer brings. Ali, who was always courageous in fighting her cancer, was also delighted and optimistic about each moment of her life. There is no doubt she is the champion leading the force in this fight to help find a cure to childhood cancer.

We hope to make a real difference in the lives of other children while keeping Ali's gentle and captivating spirit alive by creating something positive in her name. Ali’s Discovery will truly help children with cancer through funding cutting-edge research which will eventually lead to find effective cures and to that day when no child has to suffer the horror of cancer again. This is our heartfelt desire
-- and our promise to Ali.

The Problem

Pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children. An estimated 12,400 children will be diagnosed with cancer and over 2,300 will die from it this year. One of every 330 person in the United States will develop cancer before his or her 20th birthday. Some progress has been made, however.
Survival rates for the more common childhood cancers, such as non-Hodgkins lymphoma and leukemia, have risen to nearly 78%. Yet even with all of our advances in early detection and treatment, only two thirds of children diagnosed with cancer survive. Childhood cancer occurs regularly, randomly and spares no social, economic or ethnic groups.

Despite these alarming statistics, we learned that just a small fraction of the dollars spent on research in this country is directed to pediatric cancer. Even in terms of cancer research dollars, children are at the bottom of the ladder. New therapies for childhood cancer have been slower to develop and very few medications created solely for children have been made available in the last two decades. In addition, we also found there are countless inequities and deficiency that exist between adult care and pediatric care, such as the lack of access to pain management, palliative and hospice care.

The Solution

Ali’s Discovery has embarked on an ambitious endeavor in finding and funding solutions that will lead to a cure to cancer in children - work that will break down barriers to innovative research, and streamline communications between patients and caregiver - between caregivers and promising new therapies.

Research

The first line of defense is investigations into new treatment and therapy approaches to pediatric cancer.
These studies represent the best options for future therapies that can be rapidly translated into treatment for thousands of children.

Education

Children and families facing cancer need information. One important goal for Ali’s discovery is to help families understand the disease and learn what treatment options are available. As a central resource for information, we will help families make vital connections to health care providers, research studies, and other families facing similar battles.
Using the power of the Internet, the media and grassroots outreach, Ali’s discovery will educate America about childhood cancer.

Advocacy

Using the power of Government and the combined influence of a coalition of organizations that share our interests, we will work to:

• Increase federal funding for research, speed
delivery of promising new therapies;
• Educate more pediatric cancer professionals; make
clinical trials of new treatments available to greater numbers of children;
• Increase access to quality care, and expand support

for the emotional and social needs of families and children.

There are many challenges that lie ahead in the war on pediatric cancer. We are dedicated to continue the fight Ali began, and we are committed to honoring her memory and the lives of each child affected by cancer.

We envision a world in which no child ever has to face the tragedy that is cancer. We believe this is within our grasp, but only through innovative and cutting-edge childhood cancer research, which will speed translation of the latest scientific breakthroughs into effective strategies to improve the quality of life for all children. Ali’s Discovery is committed to funding research efforts and providing leadership in encouraging new and innovative research investigations. We will continue this effort until current and future advances in cancer treatment and prevention produce the promise for a new generation of children free from cancer. This is our goal and testament to Ali’s perfect life – our fervent promise to darling Ali.