A Researcher and Funder Come Together to Create Hope

Hope Street Kids had the opportunity to speak with two extraordinary people, both of whom are at the forefront of the battle against pediatric cancer: Washington, DC's, Children's National Medical Center's Brian Rood, M.D., and William Howard, who started the Sarah Howard Fund to fund pediatric cancer research at Hope Street Kids with his wife in memory of their daughter. Although both men are working from different angles, they share a common and unwavering belief: we cannot give up the fight to end childhood cancer.

Dr. Rood knew in medical school that he wanted to become a pediatrician who specialized in hematology/oncology. "In medical school I spent some time working at Dupont Children's Hospital and I fell in love with pediatrics and hematology/oncology, because the pediatricians I worked with were very knowledgeable but they also had the humility it takes to get on their knees to interact with children and speak to parents respectfully. Pediatric oncology involves intensely interpersonal relationships with families(,) and it remains that way throughout due to the severe position that families facing childhood cancer are put in," Dr. Rood tells HSK.

Dr. Rood's research focuses on medulloblastoma, one of the most common forms of pediatric cancer, but also one of the least researched. When asked why, Dr. Rood responded, "Cancer is typically thought of as a disease of old age(,) afflicting adults or older people(,) and there is a smaller number of diagnoses in children with brain tumors(,) so it really is about funding priorities from a government perspective."

When asked about the current federal climate and diminished funding for clinical trials, Dr. Rood said that support from HSK through the Sarah Howard Fund to continue his research is "absolutely vital." "Cancer research funding is shrinking and has remained flat on the heels of a doubling of the NIH budget. Although career development awards are a priority of the NIH, funding is very competitive. Funders such as Hope Street Kids and the Sarah Howard Fund become increasingly vital in this climate as they can take on more risk, and recognize talent in early career researchers in a less developed form and on the merit of their ideas."

HSK asked William Howard of the Sarah Howard Fund about how the fund came about and how he and his wife came to work with Hope Street Kids. "Our daughter Sarah was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer at age 11 in 2001, and after a brave fight, passed away. We wanted to do something positive for Sarah, for ourselves and for our other children. We started to raise money for pediatric cancer and started the fund the year after she passed away," said Mr. Howard. The main fundraising event for the Sarah Howard Fund is an annual golf tournament where Sarah's friends, her friends' parents, and other supporters participate. The tournament raises enough money to fund one grant each year.

Mr. Howard credits Hope Street Kids with providing the scientific review process for choosing the recipient of the Sarah Howard Fund grant each year. Dr. Rood and the Children's National Medical Center have been chosen twice for the grant. Mr. Howard told us that he has appreciated Dr. Rood's commitment to the fight against childhood cancer. "Dr. Rood has spoken to people who played in the tournament and he made an extremely complicated topic clear to lay people. He pointed out the importance of what they are doing and how they could put one more soldier in the battle."

It is clear after speaking to both Dr. Rood and Mr. Howard that the fight against pediatric cancer is one in which seemingly small things can yield tremendous results. Hope Street Kids thanks both Dr. Rood and Mr. Howard for sharing their knowledge and experience with us.

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