In the News
September 28, 2011
At age five, some kids have won pee-wee sports championships or perhaps a class spelling bee, but for Luke Fochtman of Okemos, Mich., his fifth birthday marked his victory over a much larger foe -- in a life-or-death battle with childhood cancer, Luke has come out on top.
"Through 72 weeks of treatment, chemotherapy, 105 fevers, he never said 'no' to us," says Luke's mom Monica Fochtman, 36. "That to me was very inspiring and humbling. To be in the presence of that kind of grace gave me the courage to keep going," she says.
Issues:
Creating Hope Act of 2011
September 27, 2011
WASHINGTON - 8-year-old Ryan Darby marched right up on a stage in the Capitol Visitor's Center, stood on a ladder and talked about his dream.
"Maybe one day, every kid that gets diagnosed with leukemia will beat it, like me."
Ryan has beaten leukemia, but one in five kids with cancer do not survive.
"There are 13,500 children that are diagnosed with cancer each year.
Issues:
Creating Hope Act of 2011
September 23, 2011
Imagine your child fighting for his life, taking massive doses of highly toxic radiation and chemotherapy to kill the cancer in his body before it kills him. After years of pain and uncertainty, he beats the disease, only to find out that he will likely develop serious medical conditions related to the treatment that saved him.
Though survival rates are up for some types of pediatric cancer, for more than half of those who beat the odds and proudly call themselves "survivors," the fight is not over.
Issues:
Creating Hope Act of 2011
September 22, 2011
Imagine your child fighting for his life, taking massive doses of highly toxic radiation and chemotherapy to kill the cancer in his body before it kills him. After years of pain and uncertainty, he beats the disease, only to find out that he will likely develop serious medical conditions related to the treatment that saved him.
While survival rates are up for some types of pediatric cancer, for more than half who beat the odds and proudly call themselves survivors, the fight is not over.
Issues:
Creating Hope Act of 2011
September 22, 2011
For a parent, there is perhaps no greater fear than that of losing a child, and a childhood cancer diagnosis has the greatest potential to make that possibility a reality.
September 22, 2011
MYFOXNY.COM - David and Max Plotkin are looking for a cure... for pediatric cancer, that is.
Max was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer when he was four years old.
Today, Max has been cancer-free for more than two years. David -- who left a lucrative career in finance to focus on his son's recovery-- has created the Max Cure Foundation.
Issues:
Creating Hope Act of 2011
September 16, 2010
Six-year-old Max Plotkin was having trouble reading. Although his fellow students were moving on to chapter books, Max was barely able to get through Green Eggs and Ham. His father, David, suspected Max only read certain sentences because he had memorized them and merely recited them.
Naturally, Max, who less than two years earlier had scored in the 99th percentile in a kindergarten entrance aptitude test, began to detest reading. He recognized the growing gap between him and his peers, and as happens with many students who fall behind, Max started to feel self-conscious.
September 15, 2010
Six-year-old Max Plotkin was having trouble reading. Although his fellow students were moving on to chapter books, Max was barely able to get through Green Eggs and Ham. His father, David, suspected Max only read certain sentences because he had memorized them and merely recited them. Naturally, Max, who less than two years earlier had scored in the 99th percentile in a kindergarten entrance aptitude test, began to detest reading.