Hello!

I am Angel Christian's Mommy (he passed away in June after a difficult, brief battle). Since his passing, we have become very involved with Curesearch, and have begun lobbying for pediatric cancer research funding, which has been cut tremendously in the past few years. It is getting to the point where hospitals won't be able to start new trials and protocals, and I have even heard talk of halting some ongoing trials across the pediatric cancer spectrum.

There are 2 bills currently before the house and senate that ask for $30 million a year over the next 5 years ($150 million total) - a drop in the bucket for federal spending, but the bill has been shot down for several years. They just don't get it! Furthermore, funding from other broader cancer research foundations is being directed more towards adult cancer research, which covers more patients, but seldom can be useful in treating childhood cancer. CHildren's bodies, as most of us on here probably can imagine, do not react the same to treatments as an adult's body.

I beg all of you, PLEASE write your senators and congressmen, or email them, or call them, or even set up a meeting with their local office, and beg them to cosign the bills this fall. The more people they hear from, the more likely it is they might agree. I am meeting with Senator Webb's aides (Virginia) tomorrow to ask once again. We met once with his aide in DC in June. He still hasn't signed the bill, nor has our other senator, John Warner, but most of our congressmen/women in VA have. Go Congress! If your congress people have signed, please thank them.

You can find out more about these bills, and if your senators and congressmen and women have signed at :

http://capwiz.com/curesearch/issues/bills/

Thank you, and take good care!

Marcy Goldstone