4th Annual Dancing with the Doctors Fundraising Campaign

I am honored to have been asked to participate in this year’s Dancing with the Doctors, supporting the Maya Dronca Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to advancing pediatric cancer research and accelerating life-saving treatments, working toward a future where every child can live cancer-free.

Cancer impacts all of us. I am 45 years old. I have friends undergoing treatment or who have completed treatment and thankfully are in remission. In 2010, my nephew Connor was diagnosed with T-cell leukemia at just 5 years old. After years of intensive treatment—including chemotherapy, ports, spinal taps, scans, and countless hospital visits—Connor is cancer-free today and recently celebrated his 21st birthday.

The disparity between adult and pediatric cancer research is staggering. Why? Pediatric cancer is considered rare, with approximately 16,000 new diagnoses each year in the United States.

 As a result:

• $7–8 billion is invested annually into cancer research, but only about 4% of this amount is directed toward pediatric cancers.
• There are currently about 20 times more adult oncology clinical trials open in the United States than pediatric oncology trials.
• Between 2012 and 2021, the FDA approved 341 oncology indications overall, but only 39 pediatric oncology indications, many of which were expansions of drugs originally developed for adults.

That gap leaves too many children relying on therapies designed for adults—often with limited innovation and significant long-term consequences.

Through Dancing with the Doctors, we are stepping beyond our professional roles to raise critical funds for children and families facing cancer. Every donation directly supports pediatric cancer research and helps accelerate the development of safer, more effective treatments for kids who desperately need them.

I would be grateful for your support. Together, we can help drive meaningful progress and bring hope to children and families fighting cancer today.