Nelina's Hope

We are pleased to announce our 2023 Gift of Hope for $12,500 is granted to Dr. James Rutka's lab at SickKids Hospital for research project Enhanced Patient Specific Drug Delivery in DIPG. These funds will be used to support in vitro studies and combining immunotherapeutic approaches in DIPG.

Thank you to everyone that supported Nelina's Hope this year. Together, we can a difference in changing the survival rate for this disease.

It was a honor to be asked to join the ribbon cutting ceremony at SickKids in September for the new Patient Support Centre. While there are always a few tears remembering the journey with Nelina when I enter this hospital, I am so happy that the years of fundraising for this wonderful hospital have had such an amazing impact on childhood brain cancer and giving hope to families affected by this disease.

I am still fundraising this fall and greatly appreciate continued support.

nelinashope.org

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Sneak Peek - Halloween 2023. Over the last several months I have been drawing and painting to put together some pieces for a Halloween display in the radiation area at Princess Margaret Hospital. Thank you Susan Awrey for asking me to help with this display knowing how special this day is for me. I have a few more in the works. More to come.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month!

I will be fundraising for the next couple of months leading up to Halloween in memory of Nelina. It is another milestone year as Nelina would have been starting high school so my goal is to raise $9,000 to support cancer research at SickKids.

Donations can be made at nelinashope.org website.

For everyone that helped support Nelina's Hope over the last few years, thank you! Your donations helped make this a reality and to give hope to families affected by this disease. We are a long way to a cure but this is an amazing step forward. I am truly overwhelmed to see this become a reality.

World first: Sunnybrook and SickKids clinical trial delivers chemotherapy to pediatric brain tumours using MRI-guided focused ultrasound The first pediatric patient recently successfully underwent the procedure as part of a safety and feasibility clinical trial in children with this tumour.

We are pleased to announce our 2022 Gift of Hope for $15,000 is granted to Dr. James Rutka's lab at SickKids Hospital for research project Enhanced Patient Specific Drug Delivery in DIPG.

This research project will look at various drug combinations that have been identified as having activity against DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma). Using focused ultrasound delivery technology, drugs will be administered to determine efficacy of the drug combination on overall survival and quality of life. The full research proposal will be available on Nelina's Hope website soon.

Because of your support to Nelina’s Hope, we can direct funds to the most critical projects that are advancing medical treatments for rare and difficult to treat pediatric brain tumors and creating hope for families affected by this disease. Together, we can a difference in changing the survival rate for this disease.

A special thanks to Michael Barrett for his ongoing support since we first started fundraising. Thank You!

Thank you Jelena for organizing this Holiday Cookie Fundraiser at your workplace, Bellwether Investment Management. Everyone was so hospitable and helpful in delivering 98 dozen cookies to clients and co-workers. It was a great day and a great fundraiser.

A marathon of baking but all for a good cause. Our 2022 Gift of Hope will be granted soon and we can't wait to share how we are supporting childhood brain cancer research in 2023.

Fall Delights is back - October 21 - 23rd

We are supporting Brain Cancer Awareness Day - October 24th with some fall delights - Pumpkin Bread, Chocolate Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese and a favorite - Bourbon Pumpkin Cupcakes, and Pumpkin Roll (pre-order only). $5/loaf and $25.00 for a mixed sample pack.

If you would like to pre-order, please message me. We will also have T-shirts available $15. Hope to see some familiar faces and everyone that drops by can check out our Hallowe'en display.

In memory of Nelina's 13th heavenly birthday. Forever in our hearts.

We are in final days of petition, if you have not had a chance to sign, please sign today. Just takes a minute to sign and then confirm your email. Help be a part of change to create hope for this disease.

Jordana will always have a special place in my heart as she passed just days after Nelina. If you have not had a chance to sign petition e-4021, please take a moment. We have some momentum with number of signatures each day. Let's keep it going and reach 10,000 this week. Thank you everyone who has signed so far.

Even with the internet outage, we are closing in on 10,000 signatures. With 10,000 signatures, the House of Commons will provide a response to our petition to declare May 17th - National DIPG/DMG Awareness day in Canada.

https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4021

It is so simple to sign - literally 1 minute of your time. Name, Address & Phone number, a couple clicks and done. We would love your support.

Together we can create hope for this disease.

So many children to remember - so many heart broken families. Even if brain cancer has never touched your family, a simple signature and less than a minute of your time today can change the future of this disease with hope, treatments and possibly a cure.

There have been viral moments for ALS and the world raised $$millions of dollars for this disease that has created medical break-throughs and treatments.

We need the same moment for DIPG/DMG (an aggressive brain stem tumor) - the symptoms are, sadly, the same for both diseases except that DIPG/DMG typically affects children aged 5-7.

If you have not signed petition e-4021 to declare May 17th as DIPG Awareness day - please take a moment to sign. There is a link to the petition within this article.

We are currently at 8200 signatures and the goal is 10,000.

Family of Girl Who Lost Battle with Brain Cancer Hoping to Bring Awareness of Disease The family of a young girl who lost her battle with an incurable type of brain cancer is rallying behind a pet...

A group a Canadian parents whose children have fought or currently fighting DIPG/DMG are trying to get 10,000 signatures to declare May 17th - National DIPG Awareness Day. If you have not already signed, please sign and share to help us reach our goal.
https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4021

We have wrapped up our 2022 Go Grey in May fundraiser! Thank you everyone for supporting childhood brain cancer research and advocating to create awareness. Together, we can create hope for this disease. Thank you Mairéad Austin and Miller's Grove Public school for all of your efforts this year.

To support May 17th - DIPG Awareness Day petition e-4021, I have created this 4X6 postcard. The QR code goes directly to the petition for signing so it is an easy way to get people to sign up - they just need to scan and sign!

The post card be posted on bulletin boards at workplaces, offices, schools or handed out to friends, family and colleagues.

If you would like to help spread the word and get more signatures for this petition, please let me know and I will mail cards to you. The petition does not have age requirements, just need a valid email.

I have also reached out to my local MP, Rechie Valdez, asking for her support on this petition.

Another petition has been set up to make May 17th an official DIPG Awareness Day. A day that is already recognized in the USA in many states and recognized in the UK.

https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Sign/e-4021

Please help make this an official awareness day in Canada by signing the petition link below. It only takes a few seconds to complete and then a confirmation email to click. That's it.

Help bring awareness to this disease!

We are delighted to be recognized by SickKids in the Donor Spotlight this week as part of our Go Grey in May fundraiser.

We have raised over $1,500 in just 3 days and so grateful for the continued support. Please help us reach our Go Grey in May goal and donate today.

Donor Spotlight | Week of May 2 SickKids Foundation acknowledges Hydro One and Nelina's Hope

CAR-T ‘robustly effective’ in younger patients with deadly form of brain cancer Younger patients with diffuse midline glioma experienced prolonged clinical improvement after receiving an investigational chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, study results demonstrated. Updated phase 1 trial data presented at American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting showed pati...