Just two weeks before her 8th birthday in June 2012, Lauren went in for an MRI after her optometrist couldn’t identify the cause of her poor vision. The family wasn’t even halfway home before they received a call informing them that Lauren had a low-grade glioma, which is a type of central nervous system tumor that arises from the connective tissue of the brain.
From diagnosis to today, her oncologist and ALSF-funded researcher, Dr. Angela Waanders from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, has worked to stabilize the inoperable tumor. In January 2016, Dr. Waanders put Lauren on a new clinical trial for the drug lenalidomide. The drug would block blood flow to the tumor, hopefully ending the growth of cancerous cells. While the drug didn’t shrink the tumor, it has at least stopped its growth and has given Lauren more time while researchers work to find new potential cures.
Lauren’s father, Patrick, believes that research holds the key to his daughter’s future, “You have to believe in the research and that eventually they’ll have a procedure or maintenance treatment that will allow her to live a normal life.”
YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT is why children like Lauren and her family have hope and are able to receive potentially lifesaving treatments to fight childhood cancer.
YOU ARE THE REASON why Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation has been able to continue to fund researchers around the country to develop new treatments and cures for childhood cancer.
YOUR GENEROUS GIFT helps fund the most promising, innovative scientific projects with the greatest likelihood of making an impact.
THANK YOU!
