Fremont Mother Urges Congress To Continue Funding Childhood Cancer Research
India-West Staff Reporter
FREMONT, CA – Fremont resident and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) volunteer Manisha Modi Mehta joined 350 other cancer patients, survivors and family members in the nation’s capital for the 15th Annual Alliance for Childhood Cancer Action Days.
The event, organized by the Alliance for Childhood Cancer, of which ACS CAN is a member, brought together advocates from 39 states and the District of Columbia to push for stronger support in the fight against childhood cancer.
On February 28, Manisha met with Representative Ro Khanna’s legislative assistant and other congressional staff to share the story of her son Ronil, who passed away at 14 from an aggressive and difficult to treat brain tumor. She urged Congress to fund childhood cancer programs and ensure childhood cancer research remains a national priority.
“The vast majority of children with cancer, 85% of them, survive five years or more. This is a significant improvement from the five-year survival rate of about 58% from fifty years ago. However, there are certain childhood cancers, like the one Ronil had, that still have a poor prognosis. Cancer research is critical to improve treatments that can help patients live longer and better,” said Manisha in a statement.
She and the other participants asked lawmakers to continue funding the Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access and Research (STAR) Act to improve the quality of life of childhood cancer patients, survivors and their families. They also asked lawmakers to support the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care ACT, which would reduce red tape delays, allowing children with cancer and other complex medical needs who are covered by Medicaid quicker access to time-sensitive care.
Additionally, they urged Congress to continue to make strong investments in the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute to help advance discoveries in the fight against childhood cancer, among other asks. Eighty percent of the 14,000 newly diagnosed children and adolescents each year rely on research institutions to provide life-saving care, with more than half of newly diagnosed children enrolling in clinical trials.
“Since my son Ronil passed away, I have dedicated my time to raising awareness for DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) and finding avenues for research funding through the Neev Kolte & Brave Ronil Foundation. I hope our lawmakers understand the important role they play in helping save lives from childhood cancer and that they heed our asks,” she added.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in children ages 1 to 14, and brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death. About 9,550 children in the United States under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer in 2025. An estimated 1,050 children under the age of 15 are expected to die from cancer in 2025.
