Keith Detterich is the Co Founder and President of the Cure Starts Now Foundation. Keith will talk about the budget cuts from the National Institute of Health and other monetary losses which will negatively affect the cause of Pediatric Cancer

Juno Wollf was born on October 11th of 2022 and was doing well until James noticed a lump under his right armpit. As happens too often, the doctors who looked at Juno did not figure out that this lump was an indication of a Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor, which was finally diagnosed on December 17th of 2022. Just 47 days after Juno's diagnosis on February of 2023, he passed away from this form of Pediatric Cancer, which is diagnosed in 20-25 kids each year. Juno only lived for a total of 114 days. 

Bonnie Corcoran will talk about her beloved daughter Brenna who was diagnosed with DIPG, just 8 months after Bonnie and her husband Robert had taken custody of her, then adopted her when she was 3 1/2 years old. Brenna was born with a Cocaine addiction thanks to a family member and was welcomed by Brenna, her husband Robert, and their 5 other children, all of whom were at least 10 years older then she was. Brenna fought her DIPG as much as she could, before passing away on September 6th of 2022. 

Keith Desserich-will talk about the budget cuts from the National Insititute of Health, a huge cut from the National Cancer Institute which I just found out about and I mentioned in my outro, and other monetary losses that will have a negative affect for Pediatric Cancer patients and their families.

Jonathan Cottor and his family were living in England when his son Ryan was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy when he was 9 months old in 2001. Ryan was not expected to live past his 2nd birthday but lived 15 years longer than expected, passing away in December of 2018. While in England , Jonathan and his wife Holly saw a Respite Home that was common in England but was unheard of in the United States. Jonathan moved his family to his original roots in Phoenix Arizona in 2003, where he and Holly created the Ryan house, which was similar to the home that they saw and that Ryan lived in on occasion in London. After Ryan's passing, Jonathan has dedicated his life to coming up with programs that would lead to the building of these Palliative Care Respite homes across the United States and hopes to have 50 programs completed and 50 houses built, one in each state within 5 years.

Being a Certified Child Life Specialist is one of the most important careers that anyone who has a passion for those that are going through a Pediatric Cancer experience can aspire to. Shani Thornton is a prototype for how important this role is and she will talk about the many things that she is involved with on a daily basis as a Child Life Specialist that helps so many people deal with the psychosocial part of dealing with a disease that no one wants or deserves. 

Debi Mitchell's son Austin was diagnosed with Stage 3 Acute T Cell Lymphoblastic Non Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2021 when he was 12 years old, under the assumption that his issue before this diagnosis had to do with Asthma. Today, Austin is doing very well and is trying to establish himself as an actor. While spending her time during Austin's treatment at a Northern California Hospital which would become affectionately known as the "Kaiser Resort", Debi met other mom's who were with their children and were being treated for different forms of Pediatric Cancer. During this time in the "Kaiser Resort" these moms coalesced to form the MAMA BEARS FIGHTING CHILDHOOD CANCER Non-Profit, a Non-Profit which now has established Roots in a number of Northern California Hospitals. 

After their 21 month old daughter Lily was experiencing stomach pains in April of 2024, Nicky and Dan Rankin took her to an Emergency Room and she was then admitted to Children's Hospital at the Anschulz campus in Aurora, Colorado. Shortly after that, Lily was diagnosed with High Risk Neuroblastoma. 16 months later as we enter August of 2025, Lily is doing as well as possible . Dan will discuss what Lily has been through and the Half Triathlon that he has been training for to raise money because of the great treatment that Lily has received at Children's Hospital.

Amy Dixon took her then 9 year old son Ben to his pediatrician and many specialists early in 2019 to find out what was the cause of the leg pain that had been bothering him. The one thing that these doctors agreed about was that it was NOT Cancer related. Unfortunately however, that was not the case. Ben was finally diagnosed with the Bone Cancer Ewings Sarcoma and after his first treatment protocol was declared to be in remission. 3 months later, in June of 2020, Ben relapsed which led to his sudden passing on July 8th of 2021 .

After being fortunate enough to interview their son Christian back in July of 2024, I was equally fortunate to interview Christian's parents Martin and Shanna who talked form their perspective about their then 15 year old son Christian's battle with a Pediatric Brain cancer known as a Pineal Paranchymal Tumor with Intermediate Differentation. Christian received this diagnosis in 2015 and in the previous 15 years , this diagnosis was given a total of 5 times. Fortunately, as the Englerts will detail, Christian is doing as well as possible, some 10 years after a diagnosis that was thought by doctors to be one that he would not be able to survive. 

Gisela Chavez's then 4 year old daughter Arianny was experiencing flu like symptoms during the 2024 Christmas season and finally after her fever spiked to the 104-105 range Gisela took Arianny to Advovcate Children's Hospital not too far from Chicago, where she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Arianny's diagnosis was given just after her 5th birthday in January of this year, and she has completed 6 months out of a treatment protocol that still has 2 years to go.