Morgan made me a mom 28 years ago today
On July 30, 1992, Morgan Courtney Adams was born, healthy and destined to make her mark on the world. She was the first of our three children. Of all the things Steven and I imagined for Morgan and her life to come, cancer was never one of them. Watching Morgan endure the seemingly endless painful…
Colorado researchers taking two-pronged approach in search for new AT/RT cancer treatments
Generally, there are two ways to discover a new cancer drug: You can use basic science to discover a cancer’s Achille’s heel and then find or build a drug that exploits it, or you can try a bunch of drugs on cancer cells and see what works. Think of the basic science approach as building…
Your support funds research to stop cancer treatments from causing more cancer
Children’s Hospital Colorado oncologist Adam Green, MD, understands the risks of whole-brain radiation, but sometimes it’s an important part of the cure for cancers like medulloblastoma or high-risk leukemia. The problem is that in addition to the long-term cognitive challenges that can accompany this use of radiation, the treatment can actually cause new cancers: About…
Research identifies ‘genetic switch’ that may protect brain cancer stem cells
Chemotherapy and radiation kill rapidly dividing cells, a hallmark of cancer (and hair). However, cancer stem cells do not divide rapidly and so tend to resist these treatments. And while these stem cells make up only a small percentage of a tumor’s bulk, if only a small population survives treatment, they can often regrow a…
How to Talk to Children About the Coronavirus Pandemic
How to Talk to Children About the Coronavirus Pandemic Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD As the coronavirus spreads across North America and our daily lives are transformed, we all must be aware of the need for good mental health care. Obviously, it’s a stressful time. Families are confined to their homes. School is canceled. Many businesses…
MAF Researchers secure federal grants and publication
There was quite a lot for researchers in the Morgan Adams Foundation Brain Tumor Research Program to celebrate in February! Dr. Nick Foreman’s group was awarded TWO large federal grants to continue their industry-leading research of ependymoma. First, an RO1 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) / National Cancer Institute (NCI) will support an…
Screening existing FDA-approved drugs leads to new treatments for pediatric cancer
When a cancer patient survives five years from the end of treatment, most medical teams consider it a success. However, for some pediatric brain cancers, being disease-free at five years does not equal a cure. “For a long time, we thought that surgery and radiation were pretty good treatments for ependymoma…until we realized that patients’…
artma 2020 Kid Art
artma exists because there are kids who are battling every day to survive. For each artma, Patricia Mowry, the Creative Arts Therapist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, coordinates an art project with kids in treatment in the Pediatric Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. This year, 25 kids, teens, and young adults participated by creating a drawing of…
New cancer drug shows promise in treating deadly pediatric brain tumors
High-grade glioma (HGG) is the leading cause of cancer death among children. HGGs are fast-growing tumors in the brain or spinal cord that arise from glial cells. Glioblastoma (GBM) and diffuse midline glioma (which includes most diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas or DIPGs) are two types of high-grade glioma most often seen in children. Led by…
Ferrari of Denver and Local Boy Scout Team Up for 11th Annual Holiday Toy Drive
One of our favorite events of the holiday season Ferrari of Denver‘s Annual Holiday Toy Drive! We are so grateful to have been invited to participate in FoD’s 11th Annual Holiday Toy Drive again this year! As an added bonus for this year’s event, Tristan Williams, a 17-year-old high school student from Bailey, Colorado and…
