CureFest’s mission is to make childhood cancer research a national priority by uniting the childhood cancer community, the general public, the medical community and our elected leaders.
It is the single biggest opportunity that we have to raise our voices as one and be seen & heard with one clear message.
Kate’s mommy was asked to give a speech on the first night at the candlelight vigil. When asked why she was attending, Lindsay said:
When my daughter Kate was diagnosed with leukemia in 2013, my eyes were opened to the harsh realities of pediatric cancer, the severe lack of government funding and the largely misinformed public. Childhood cancer is NOT rare and our children are being diagnosed and dying at an overwhelmingly alarming rate.
When my daughter DIED from a relapse of her cancer four months after completing treatment and just 15 hours after we learned it was back, my eyes were opened once more…this time to a purpose and a calling that we, her family must fulfill.
Kate’s Cause is attending to represent our smart, clever, funny, beautiful and forever four-year-old Kate Olivia Rhoades, our sweet girl who had a highly treatable type of cancer yet died anyway.
We are attending to represent the countless number of her friends currently in treatment and who have also died because our government, our society and our leaders don’t find them worthy of better, less toxic treatments.
We will be representing the countless children worldwide, but especially those right here in our very own back yard, who are dealing with adult strength chemotherapy, life-threatening side effects that can last decades after treatment is done and the toll it takes on their precious young lives and futures.
Kate’s Cause is attending because our children deserve our best, not our leftovers. Until Childhood Cancer is Extinct.”
