Hannah's Hopeful Hearts - Join Us April 10th!

Please join us!

Mark your calendar,

and go to

http://hannahshopefulhearts.brownpapertickets.com

to reserve your tickets! Space is limited; don't miss this special event!

Gregg and I are delighted to invite you to join us at Hannah’s Hopeful Hearts on Friday, April 10^th, 2015, 7:00 pm at Grace Church on Bainbridge Island.  This event is in memory of Hannah Hunt and our daughter Katie, two vibrant, beloved girls who passed away from pediatric cancer.

The first Hannah’s Hopeful Hearts event in March, 2010 was an enormous success, raising funds for brain tumor research which were critical in the development of Dr. Jim Olson’s Tumor Paint, which is now in clinical trials.  Tumor Paint aids in surgery by illuminating only cancerous cells, improving outcomes by leaving healthy brain cells untouched. Further innovative research is being pursued by Jim and his colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center under the name of Project Violet. They are creating a new class of nature-derived compounds that treat cancer (and other diseases) while leaving healthy cells untouched.

The Katie Gerstenberger Endowment for Cancer Research supports the Jensen Lab at the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research (BTCCCR). The Jensen Lab is named for Dr. Michael Jensen, a Bainbridge Island resident and the director of the BTCCCR at Seattle Children's Research Institute. Under Mike’s leadership, the BTCCR has achieved great success with its T-Cell (immunotherapy) research, targeting the most common childhood cancers - leukemia, neuroblastoma, brain tumors and sarcomas.  Currently, 11 children (and counting) who have been treated through the BTCCR’s clinical trials are in remission! A new clinical trial treating relapsed neuroblastoma has been launched, and there is hopeful progress for curing brain tumors with T-Cell therapy, as well. 

At the Hannah’s Hopeful Hearts event on April 10th, you will hear presentations by, and a moderated discussion with, Dr. Olson and Dr. Jensen – two leading lights in cancer research who have never before shared a stage.  Hannah’s mother, Reba Ferguson, and I will speak briefly on behalf of families supporting Jim’s and Mike’s work. Wine and beer, light hors d’oeuvres and a simple dessert buffet will be provided; the evening will conclude with a lively concert by the band St. Paul de Vence.  This band is featured on The Violet Sessions CD, a creative project which supports the Olson Lab. If you’d like to hear a sample of their music, go to http://stpaulband.com/#/music/ .

Please reserve your spot now at http://hannahshopefulhearts.brownpapertickets.com,

and join us and the Hunt-Ferguson family for an inspirational evening, furthering the work of these two brilliant doctors in their mutual goal of finding less toxic, more effective treatments for pediatric cancer. If you are unable to join us on April 10^th, you may make a donation via the same link (perhaps your employer will match your gift).

With hope and gratitude,

Karen and Gregg Gerstenberger

 Special thanks to our Title Sponsor, Windermere Real Estate of Bainbridge Island, WA

Hannah’s Hopeful Hearts 2015 benefits:

#BTFBenefit2014 and the Number 10

Reba, Gregg, Lynora, Daniel, me, Jim & Caroline

Something absolutely wonderful happened on Friday evening. We gathered with friends and family among 1,700 people to celebrate the tremendous achievements of the Ben Towne Foundation's first five years in existence.

Reba and Bill

Two members of the TEAM BTF Ride Across America Team

In the space of 10 minutes, over $1,600,000 was raised to support childhood cancer research at the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, with the help of Joel McHale, who hosted and kept us all laughing.

Reba, Joel and me

As always, Carin and Jeff Towne and Dr. Michael Jensen spoke movingly, beautifully and with passion about their mission. A brief video shared the story of one of the most recent recipients of Dr. Jensen's T-cell therapy.

In addition to the wonderful sum raised that night, we celebrated these milestones:
- two clinical trials were launched for T-cell treatment of leukemia
- a third clinical trial is ready for submission, for the treatment of neuroblastoma
- 10 PATIENTS ARE IN REMISSION! Stop right there. 
 Ten patients who had experienced relapse, who had no other treatment options - whose hope for a cure was completely exhausted, and were facing death - those ten children are now in remission.

Ten families are not heartbroken today - parents, siblings, extended family and community - have their precious, beloved child with them. Ten families did not have to sign "do not resuscitate" forms, did not have to request hospice care, did not have to plan a memorial service, pick a headstone, face an empty bedroom.

Ten.

I was so happy Friday night that I could not go to sleep.

In no way does this great accomplishment reduce the pain of missing Katie, or change the fact of her absence in our home, our lives and and in our future. And yet...
And yet, for me, this is a kind of justice for her killer. This is arresting the culprit. This is going to prevent this tragedy from being repeated, over and over again.

Not only that, but T-Cell treatment does not endanger the future life of the patient, because it does not cause organ damage, reproductive damage, hearing loss or secondary cancers, the way that traditional chemotherapy and radiation do. This treatment uses the body's own immune system to heal itself, and the possibilities for its use are endless.

With research, it can be applied to different kinds of cancer, and to adults, as well as to children. All we need to do is continue to find funding for the work to continue and expand.

Tonight, some parent who thought their child was going to die, is instead going to tuck her into bed, and kiss and hug her "good night." It won't be me and my daughter, yet I am happy for that family - for all ten of those families who have received this gift from Dr. Michael Jensen and his research team at the Ben Towne Center. We will continue to support this work through the Katie Gerstenberger Endowment for Cancer Research, and through the Ben Towne Foundation, and in any other way we can.

My friend Lynora and her son Daniel came all the way from Alaska to join us!

Lynora, Reba and me - as Reba says, "Mothers in Arms"

I am asking you to help us spread the word about this, and - if you are able - to join us in supporting it. 

100% of every penny and dollar which you donate to the Ben Towne Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research goes to research. There is not one cent of overhead cost deducted from your donation; every bit goes to funding research. Please share this happy news with your community, and join us! As Ben used to say, "Come on, everybody!"

*if you are an Instagram user, you can see more photos of the event at #BTFBenefit2014

My Heart Overflows

Laura and I took a road-trip last weekend. We went to see David, because she has never been able to visit him at college, so far - in fact, she had never been to Spokane before.

The suspension bridge is below us, to the right

Girls' weekends are wonderful, and a girls' road trip is even more exciting. Talking, driving, talking, laughing, talking, eating, talking, drinking, talking, sleeping, talking, walking, talking...we had a lot of catching up to do! And to be able to spend time with David and his friends, in their element, before they all go in different directions post-graduation was, simply put, a gift.

Before the Senior Dance (thanks to the girls who posted photos on FB)

We visited a state park, crossed a suspension bridge, took an urban hike, took David out for hearty meals, went to the local brew pub and coffeehouse. We were even invited to a party. What happens at the Beer Olympics stays at the Beer Olympics, but I'll say that we played Beer Ball, saw a lot of people in costume and had a jolly good time. They made us feel so welcome.

We took some of the gang out to a restaurant afterward, which was also great fun.

While David was at the Senior Dance, Laura and I had a drink in the famous Peacock Lounge at the historic Davenport Hotel, and went exploring afterward, peeking into roped-off rooms and admiring the beautiful architectural details, old photographs and memorabilia on display.

We drove home through hail, sunshine, high winds, rain and snow - safely, thanks to God and our guardian angels.

Today, I had an productive meeting with a Core Team member to finalize plans for Word Soup, the workshop for beginning writers which I'm going to lead for Field's End. If you live in the area and are interested, you are welcome to sign up at www.fieldsend.org. I am excited to share inspiration and encouragement with other writers!

And just a few minutes ago, I received a link to a live donation page for the  
Katie Gerstenberger Endowment 
for Cancer Research at Seattle Children's Hospital. This came about because one of Gregg's cousins is planning a party for her daughter's birthday, and in lieu of presents for the soon-to-be one-year old, Aria, she is going to ask for donations to Katie's endowment. What a generous and thoughtful woman - thank you, Rebecca! 

Our representative at Seattle Children's Foundation, Carly, was able to coordinate the creation of this page (in less than a week - thank you, Carly!), making donations easy-as-pie for Rebecca's guests and EVERYONE else who wants to support T-Cell therapy cancer research in the Jensen Lab at the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research at Seattle Children's Research Institute. Check out the page - it's so cool!

My heart is overflowing with gratitude and joy. Happy May Day!

Inspired to Give

1100 people gathered for the Ben Towne Foundation's BENefit 2013 (Image: Bryce Covey Photography)

Around here, autumn is the time when many charities host fundraisers. Gregg and I are always pleased to attend the Ben Towne Foundation's annual BENefit. We've had the privilege of being an active part of this event from its inception, and watching it grow each year lifts my heart like no other "gala" can.

Though the thing that drew us together with the Townes is the worst thing that has ever happened to us, our friendship goes far beyond that loss. It includes our sense of humor, commitment to family, a lot of coincidences, shared tastes and sensibilities, fierceness, passion and joie de vivre. It is pure pleasure to be counted among their friends and supporters, and to do all that we can to share their message and raise awareness of it.

Jeff & Carin Towne with Dr. Michael Jensen (Image: Bryce Covey Photography)

Though there are always some moments during the program that make me cry, most of my emotions at the BENefit are joyful, because the Ben Towne Foundation is getting the job done - making my dreams of a cure for pediatric cancer come true, in this time and place. Through their efforts, the pace is accelerating here in Seattle under the leadership of Dr. Mike Jensen and Dr. Rebecca Gardner (two special favorites of mine), among others. The Katie Gerstenberger Endowment for cancer research supports their laboratory.

Reba & Mary-Jane with me

Joining us at our table were my parents, brother Jim and sister-in-law Caroline, and our friends Reba, Bill, Mary-Jane and Brian. Let me give you a few statistics about our table: 60% of us had our only daughter die from pediatric cancer. Every single person at our table (100%) had suffered the loss of someone close to them as a result of pediatric cancer. For 20% of our table, it was their ONLY child (100% of the children in that family). All of us want to see this disease wiped out, with as few side effects, as quickly as possible. And we were in the right place to help the researchers accomplish that.

The news is good, my friends: the first patient in the clinical trial of T-Cell therapy continues to enjoy remission, gained after only 9 days of treatment, with side effects of flu-like symptoms during that time. The next patient is ready to enroll, and it looks as if the clinical trial will soon be expanded to include a much broader range of ages - open for more patients to be treated and cured in this new, non-toxic way!

Did you know that it can cost 10 times more to treat a child with traditional chemotherapy than with T-Cell therapy - and surgery costs even more? The bill for Katie's care was in the neighborhood of a million dollars, for which we were (thank God) covered by medical insurance - but there are many whose finances are completely wiped out by such treatment, and without the promise of a cure!

Think of it this way: you could spend $350,000 for a patient to endure chemo, which can cause secondary cancers, organ damage, susceptibility to infections and reproductive problems - or $30,000 for a patient to have T-Cell therapy, with no long-term damage whatsoever, and continuing immune-system support for remission. Which would you choose for your child - or for yourself? What would you like to see become the "norm?"

Last week, I had the privilege and pleasure of attending an elegant "thank you" party for Seattle Children's Hospital's Circle of Care as the guest of one of our dear friends. The Circle of Care was conceived and founded by Scott and Laurie Oki, at Seattle Children's through their challenge grant of $1,000,000 in 1993; since that time, it has spread across the nation and has inspired $4.7 BILLION of giving to 25 children's hospitals in North America! This group is deeply appreciated by the hospital community. We enjoyed an inspiring evening of intimate conversations with top doctors and supporters who are equally committed to improving the health and quality of children's lives. I hope someday to be able to join the Circle of Care!

On this day - the very one on which Katie was admitted into the hospital in 2006 - people such as Katie, Carin and Jeff Towne, Dr. Jensen, the Okis and all of the members of the Circle of Care inspire me. Who (or what) inspires you to give?

Can I Get an "Amen?"

Can I get an "amen" to this?

Ben Towne Center T Cells Interacting with Neuroblastoma Cells from ben towne foundation on Vimeo.

Brought to you by our friends at the Ben Towne Center, the Ben Towne Foundation, the Katie Gerstenberger Endowment for Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Hospital and countless other generous individuals who support the Center's work.

My Question Has a New Answer - HOPE is HERE

Six years ago, I asked a question: why are we poisoning children, rather than strengthening their immune systems?
Six years ago, the best answer to that question (when posed to an immunology expert) was, "We don't fully understand how the immune system works."
Today, the answer is quite different...today, doctors here in Seattle are harnessing the immune system and using it to defeat cancer - relapsed cancer, a very tough kind.
Today, our friends at the
Ben Towne Center
for Childhood Cancer Research
at Seattle Children's Hospital
(which the Katie Gerstenberger Endowment supports) have made a thrilling announcement of progress. Please follow this link and find out more about it:
HOPE is HERE