Ezra’s Story
On 4/8/2021, at 3 years old, Ezra Blue was diagnosed with high-risk medulloblastoma, an aggressive, cancerous brain tumor. For the next almost two years, he underwent brain surgery, followed by high-dose chemotherapy, stem cell transplants, then radiation, then more chemotherapy. After all these treatment attempts ultimately failed, Ezra was finally enrolled in a hopeful T-cell immunotherapy trial at Seattle Children’s Hospital. He was scheduled to begin the trial in October 2022, but became too ill and passed away before getting started.
Pediatric brain tumors have one of the highest death rates of all childhood cancers. Yet they have one of the lowest levels of research funding. Unlike most other forms of cancer, there are more than 120 types of brain tumors in need of treatment advances. No single tumor acts the same way, and treatments developed for adult brain tumor patients have proven ineffective for kids.
Ezra will never get to experience the full, long life he should have, but together we can help researchers find a cure and better treatment for medulloblastoma. Treatment options are slim for children with brain cancer. The only available treatments are harsh and often require lengthy hospital stays, separating children from their families.
Please consider donating to this worthy cause.
Our purpose is to raise funds to directly support Seattle Children’s BrainChild clinical trials. This important research specifically targets relapsed or refractory CNS tumors, like the tumor Ezra had.
Seattle Children’s CAR-T cell immunotherapy research and the BrainChild clinical trials are supported by a community of generous donors. Research funding towards childhood cancer is severely lacking. Only about 4% of all federal funding for cancer research is spent on projects involving children’s cancers. Pediatric brain tumors have one of the highest death rates of all childhood cancers. Yet they have one of the lowest levels of research funding. Children like Ezra cannot wait, they need help now. With your support, we can create a legacy for Ezra Blue and help save lives.