NEWS ABOUT THE CURE
A Goodbye No 8-Year-Old Should Have to Plan
September 29, 2026
Francisco was an 8-year-old boy whose fight with DIPG, a devasting pediatric brain cancer, forced him to understand life and death far too young. He had to think about something no child should have to, leaving his family behind. But even as he faced the unimaginable, Francisco found ways to bring comfort to the people he loved. “Heaven Talks” Francisco talked with his mom about death and what he believed came after in conversations he called “Heaven Talks.” Francisco also planned the parts of…
Does Only 4% of Federal Cancer Research Funding Go to Childhood Cancer?
September 25, 2026
Chances are, you have seen the statistic: Less than 4% of federal cancer research funding goes to childhood cancer. You may have also seen 6%. Or even 8%. So, which one is right? The answer at a glance The 4% statistic is based on an older, narrower way of counting childhood cancer research. The latest available data place pediatric cancer at 8.7% of National Cancer Institute spending. Funding has increased, but changing how research is counted makes 4% and 8.7% an imperfect comparison. Neither…
Family-Funded Research Driving Global Hope for Kids with Cancer
May 12, 2026
In 2011, what began as a $156,000 AUD research grant between Children’s Cancer Institute in Australia and The Cure Starts Now has grown into a powerful global partnership advancing hope for children diagnosed with the deadliest pediatric brain cancers. Today, The Cure Starts Now, together with the incredible partners of the DIPG/DMG Collaborative, has contributed more than $3 million AUD to groundbreaking research into diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma ( DIPG ) and diffuse midline glioma ( DMG…
Strength in the Waiting
March 1, 2026
Two years old. The age when most children are walking with ease. Jumping with two feet. Talking more. Throwing the occasional tantrum. Like a lot of kids, Kimber Jo needed a little help hitting these milestones. Every child develops at their own pace, and Kimber Jo was no different. Even at 2, she simply did things her own way. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, Kimber Jo was happily tackling them both. She’s always been a fighter. One of her therapists noticed it first. Kimber Jo started…
The Story of Stella and Julian
January 26, 2026
The most special part of childhood is the friendships you make along the way. Kids have an unspoken language that only they understand, and when two signals find a matching rhythm, there’s absolutely nothing better. From the outside looking in, it’s easy to assume that kids fighting cancer miss out on these beloved childhood experiences. What most of us don’t see is that these children are born fighters. Courage is all they know. When they set their sights on something as special as friendship…
A More Precise CAR T-Cell Approach for DIPG and DMG
January 22, 2026
This article originally appeared on DIPG.org For families affected by DIPG and DMG , progress in treatment has often felt frustratingly slow. While many experimental therapies have shown early promise, few have been able to overcome the challenges that matter most in real-world care: safety in the brain, durability of response, and the ability to target tumor cells without harming healthy tissue. One area that continues to evolve is immunotherapy , particularly CAR T-cell therapy . Recent…
The Cure Starts Now Funds $1 Million Big Fat Grant to Advance CAR T Cell Therapy for Childhood Brain Cancer
September 9, 2025
The Cure Starts Now Foundation and their partners The DIPG/DMG Collaborative today announced a $1 million research grant to support a joint project led by Seattle Children’s Hospital and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital . The award, the foundation’s “Big Fat Grant,” will accelerate development of promising new strategies to treat diffuse midline glioma (DMG) , one of the most aggressive childhood brain cancers. This is the second year in a row the foundation has awarded this grant, a…
One Step Closer To The Cure
August 7, 2025
The Cure Starts Now Commends Approval of Modeyso™ for H3 K27M-Mutated DMG Jazz Pharmaceuticals today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval for Modeyso™ (dordaviprone / ONC201) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 1 year of age and older with diffuse midline glioma (DMG) harboring an H3 K27M mutation with progressive disease following prior therapy. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and…
Being a Voice for our Children
August 5, 2025
For many children diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) or diffuse midline glioma (DMG), expressing their symptoms is incredibly challenging. Most patients are under the age of 10, too young to fully articulate their pain and struggles, making it harder for doctors and families to understand the disease's progression. Without the vocabulary to describe their experiences, these children struggle to communicate the changes happening in their bodies. However, there are those who…
The Cure Starts Now Foundation Expands Globally With Newest Chapter in Japan
July 17, 2025
This Makes the Fifth International Chapter for the Local Nonprofit The Cure Starts Now Foundation is proud to announce its Japan chapter as the most recent to join the local nonprofit in its fight to cure cancer. In June, Japan became the 56th chapter to work with The Cure Starts Now to raise funds that go toward research into childhood brain cancers that are especially aggressive and in most cases fatal. “Expanding internationally allows us to help a greater number of families, and also to…
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