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- Posted Tuesday December 22, 2015
$30,000 donated to TGen canine cancer studies in memory of girl who dreamed of being a veterinarian
Cancer took the life of 8-year-old Brooke Hester, but her spirit lives on through Brooke's Blossoming Hope
PHOENIX, Ariz. - Dec. 22, 2015 - An 8-year-old
girl's dream of becoming a veterinarian, cut short by a deadly
tumor, is the driving force behind a $30,000 donation to support
research of dogs and children with cancer at the Translational
Genomics Research Institute (TGen).
Brooke Hester waged a valiant battle with cancer for nearly five
years before succumbing to her disease in June. She had been part
of an innovative study for children with rare cancers conducted by
TGen and its clinical collaborators.
In her memory, a $30,000 donation to TGen was made today by
Brooke's Blossoming Hope for Childhood Cancer Foundation. Funds
were raised in September at the 3rd annual Be Bold Glow Gold 5K and
the Gold Collar
Companion Campaign, where donors who help both kids and dogs
with cancer receive a beautiful pediatric cancer gold metallic
collar for their dog.
"Brooke's own beautiful spirit of giving can go on this way. She
would have been so proud of this project and donation. As the
holidays approach, and as some children receive puppies as gifts, I
believe this donation to help both kids and dogs with cancer would
have been Brooke's Christmas wish," said her mother, Jessica
Hester, Executive Director of Brooke's Blossoming Hope
foundation.
Dr. Jeffrey Trent, TGen President and Research Director, welcomed
the donation with warm memories of Brooke and how she inspired
researchers at TGen.
"We can't thank you enough for your support for our research," Dr.
Trent related to Brooke's mother, Jessica. "We think about Brooke
so often, and she will always be our inspiration. Brooke truly was
a medical pioneer, having her treatment tailored to her genomic
information. Unfortunately, 60 percent of dogs reaching 10
years of age die of cancer. This support will allow
scientists and veterinarians to follow Brooke's pioneering lead, by
studying new treatment options for our canine friends."
TGen's genomic analysis of canine cancer could help develop new
therapies for children with cancer. Pure-breed dogs, whose genetics
have been standardized by hundreds of years of human intervention,
provide highly predictable genetic models that can be used to
designing clinical trials, where targeted treatments can be matched
to the molecular profiles of human patients.
"Extraordinary potential lies in aligning studies of sporadic
cancers in dogs with drug development in human cancers," said Dr.
William Hendricks, Research Assistant Professor in TGen's
Integrated Cancer Genomics Division.
Brooke's story went viral through a YouTube video of her
holding hands with singer-songwriter Miranda Lambert, who teared up
when Brooke gave her a flower during a 2014 concert in Brooke's
hometown of Corpus Christi.
Now, Brooke is the face of Brooke's Blossoming Hope, a
charity that raises global awareness for childhood cancers, fosters
research, and donates decorative headbands to girls and hats to
boys who have lost their hair while fighting the disease. More than
50,000 children in more than 45 countries have received these
gifts.
In 2010, at age 3, Brooke was diagnosed with advanced
neuroblastoma, an aggressive type of cancer of the peripheral
nervous system that most often affects young children.
Brooke's initial symptoms included a painless limp, unexplained
fevers and stomachaches, followed by pain in her belly and spine.
Scans discovered a large tumor in her abdomen, pressing on her left
kidney, spine and internal organs. The cancer also was discovered
in her lymph nodes and bone marrow.
She received three years of targeted genomic therapy through
precision medicine clinical trials led by Dr. Trent and Dr. Giselle
Sholler, head of the pediatric oncology translational research
program at Spectrum Health's Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in
Grand Rapids, Mich., where Brooke was treated.
Dr. Sholler chairs the Neuroblastoma and Medulloblastoma
Translational Research Consortium (NMTRC), a global network of 27
universities and hospitals researching childhood cancers. Computing
power for the project has been funded by Dell Inc.
Following genomic sequencing of her surgically removed tumor
tissue, Brooke received targeted therapy designed specifically to
address her cancer, which extended her survival.
"None of us knows our time, or how much time we have, but what we
do know is that we will never stop fighting to find and fund cures
for children fighting cancer," said Brooke's mother, Jessica.
More information:
TGen fight against pediatric cancer expands to Europe and Middle
East
TGen video
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About TGen
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. TGen is focused
on helping patients with neurological disorders, cancer, and
diabetes, through cutting edge translational research (the process
of rapidly moving research towards patient benefit). TGen
physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of
both common and rare complex diseases in adults and children.
Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical
communities literally worldwide, TGen makes a substantial
contribution to help our patients through efficiency and
effectiveness of the translational process. For more information,
visit:www.tgen.org. Follow TGen on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @TGen.
Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]