Joey's Wings Foundation

Joey's Wings Foundation Joey's Wings' mission is to support cutting edge research that focuses on kidney cancers affecting c

Joey's Wings aims to hasten and advance the development of new effective treatment options for children and young adults who are dealing with a kidney cancer. 100% of all donations made will be used towards research and treatment options.

05/05/2026

Three days with eight pediatric oncology families at the Blue Skies Ministries. Felt like living in a world, childhood is uninterrupted—whole, vibrant, and free. It’s a world where every moment is simply about growing, playing, and being a child.

In the midst of uncertainty, this weekend offered hope that goes beyond circumstances—reminding families they are not alone, that they are loved, and that even in hardship, there can be peace, connection, and renewal.

Sign up at https://www.blueskiesministries.org/guest-family

🚨TOMORROW families, survivors, clinicians, and advocates from coast to coast are joining this first-of-its-kind national...
04/30/2026

🚨TOMORROW families, survivors, clinicians, and advocates from coast to coast are joining this first-of-its-kind national Wilms Tumor Virtual Forum, presented by Elevate Childhood Cancer Research and Advocacy and the Kidney Cancer Association. 🧡

Don’t miss this opportunity to be “in the room” virtually with the TOP PEDIATRIC RENAL TUMOR EXPERTS in the country during this one-of-a-kind forum focused on Wilms tumor, a pediatric renal cancer!

There’s also something for the broader pediatric cancer community, including an EXPERT SURVIVORSHIP SESSION and BREAKOUT DISCUSSIONS covering a broad range of topics that YOU requested. 🤩 These sessions are relevant for families across ALL PEDIATRIC CANCER DIAGNOSES, and all are welcome to join for one session or stay for the full day!

🗓️Thursday, April 30, 2026
💻Free & Virtual

https://www.elevatechildhoodcancer.org/wilms/?fbclid=IwdGRleARfhSBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeLvZwj7AkyrGJI86TlVhruNoH1txNokBreGIpUt9F-u9URARQMBH-wDTPW3o_aem_YvH_H2Bhpx9MSXf06pFFlQ

Another year of sponsoring young investigators from kidney cancer community to attend the annual meeting of American Ass...
04/22/2026

Another year of sponsoring young investigators from kidney cancer community to attend the annual meeting of American Association of Cancer Research. May this experience broaden their perspectives, deepen their learning, and inspire them to pursue meaningful careers in cancer research.

Their curiosity today can become the breakthroughs of tomorrow, offering new hope to families who are waiting.

Joey's Wings Foundation at the AACR Annual Meeting 2026. it’s a lot for us to learn when the entire cancer ecosystem int...
04/22/2026

Joey's Wings Foundation at the AACR Annual Meeting 2026. it’s a lot for us to learn when the entire cancer ecosystem into one place. The meeting is uniquely cross-disciplinary.

For rare cancers like tRCC, the meeting creates rare but powerful moments of connection—when the right people find each other and realize they’re not working alone.

A cancer genomics researcher from Canada saw our poster and came over to talk. He shared that they are currently working on a project on tRCC that explores the use of patient-derived organoids and epigenomic profiling (ChIP-seq) to detect and monitor tRCC via cell-free chromatin in plasma. He was quite surprised to see a nonprofit dedicated to tRCC.

It’s amazing how rapidly biotechnology is advancing, and how powerful its ability to translate discoveries into practice has become.

Lyla is a 6-year-old girl diagnosed with Wilms tumor involving a horseshoe kidney, a rare condition that makes her anato...
03/31/2026

Lyla is a 6-year-old girl diagnosed with Wilms tumor involving a horseshoe kidney, a rare condition that makes her anatomy more complex and her treatment especially delicate. She first presented with fevers, abdominal pain, and other concerning symptoms, and imaging later revealed a large tumor affecting her kidney.

Over the course of four months, Lyla bravely underwent chemotherapy to shrink the tumor in preparation for surgery. She then faced a major milestone—a 7-hour operation to remove the tumor. Following surgery, Lyla remained in the hospital for 20 days, requiring intensive care and support. During that time, she was connected to multiple lines and monitors, including an epidural for pain control, IV medications and fluids, a nasogastric (NG) tube, a Foley catheter, continuous blood pressure monitoring, and IV nutrition while she was unable to eat for more than a week. Her recovery was further complicated by low-grade fevers, gastrointestinal issues, and the many challenges that follow such a major procedure in a young child.

Lyla has now resumed chemotherapy with courage and resilience. Her family shared that financial support would help cover essential expenses such as rent during this difficult time. Let’s come together to support Lyla and wish her strength as she continues treatment, hoping for a smooth path through the rest of her chemotherapy journey.

A meeting focusing on patients: latest updates on research, clinical trials, dietary advice, survivors stories… What a d...
03/30/2026

A meeting focusing on patients: latest updates on research, clinical trials, dietary advice, survivors stories…

What a day to learn from patients, survivors, caregivers, clinicians, and researchers—people who have all been touched by kidney cancer in different ways, yet are united by the same hope: better treatments and better outcomes for patients. Joey’s Wings was honored to speak at the Second Annual Kidney Cancer Patient Summit on the topic of patient-driven research, sharing about TRCC Project.

Moments like this remind us that patient-driven research is not just an idea—it is a movement. When patients, families, doctors, and scientists come together, hope becomes something tangible, and progress becomes possible.

A big thank you to Dr. Rana McKay from UC San Diego Health for making this annual summit happen.

4-year-old Marci from Oklahoma was diagnosed with Wilms tumor last year. She has chemotherapy treatment every 3 weeks. S...
03/26/2026

4-year-old Marci from Oklahoma was diagnosed with Wilms tumor last year. She has chemotherapy treatment every 3 weeks. She stays in hospital once every 2 months. Treatment is 9 months total including chemotherapy and radiation.
Let’s wish Marci a successful treatment and a cure! Thank you donors! Because of your generosity, we could help kids like Marci.

Better Together 🧡March is  . We’re proud to highlight our friends at the TRCC Project. They are accelerating research an...
03/09/2026

Better Together 🧡

March is . We’re proud to highlight our friends at the TRCC Project. They are accelerating research and discovery for translocation renal cell carcinoma (tRCC), a rare subtype that took Joey’s life and needs more answers.

Because of this rarity, partnership is our greatest tool for progress. The project is building a first-of-its-kind dataset—combining clinical data and genomic sequencing with the most important piece of the puzzle: the patient experience.

Joey’s Wings has worked closely with the tRCC Project for the past three years, from planning, meetings to reaching out to medical and patient communities. Within a year, we have produced preliminary analysis of a cohort of 38 tRCC patients, giving insights about common symptoms people experience before diagnosis and what their treatment journey is like.

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with tRCC, your experience can drive breakthroughs. The ongoing project is open to participants diagnosed in the U.S. and Canada.

🔗 Learn more at trccproject.org

12-year-old Toussaint from California was fighting Wilms tumor for the 3rd time! When he was just 1 years old, his battl...
03/06/2026

12-year-old Toussaint from California was fighting Wilms tumor for the 3rd time! When he was just 1 years old, his battle first began against Wilms tumor that resulted in a kidney removal. Then a relapse occurred at the age of two, and now at 11 years old, the cancer has returned aggressively, and has spread to his abdomen and lungs. Toussaint is now facing an intensive 9-month treatment journey.

Toussaint’s family said unlike previous times that he was at the age where he was not aware of the gravity of his health situation, he has now already began to experience a significant loss of weight, appetite, hair, and energy from his treatment. This brought a lot of fear and uncertainty to his mind and heart.

Please keep Toussaint in your prayers!

03/02/2026

Blue Skies' camp is coming in San Diego in April! KONA KAI SAN DIEGO RESORT on April 12 - 15, 2026. Blue Skies Ministries is a ministry that offers HOPE through beach camps, mountain getaways and local programs to lift families above the dark and stormy clouds of childhood cancer.
Two other camps nearby is at THE OAKS RETREAT CENTER on May 1 - 3, 2026 and October 2 - 4, 2026.
https://www.blueskiesministries.org/guest-family

Today is Rare Disease Day. Our hearts are with the families fighting a rare disease — especially the caregivers who figh...
02/28/2026

Today is Rare Disease Day. Our hearts are with the families fighting a rare disease — especially the caregivers who fight tirelessly alongside their loved ones.

Joey’s cancer, translocation renal cell carcinoma (tRCC), is a rare form of kidney cancer with an estimated incidence of 1% to 5% of all renal cell carcinomas in adults, but it constitutes a significant, high percentage (up to 40%+) of pediatric renal malignancies.

We’re proud to partner with the Broad Institute, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Boston Children’s Hospital to launch the TRCC Project in 2025. This collaborative research initiative is building a comprehensive, high-quality database of patient information to help scientists better understand the disease and accelerate the development of new therapies. To date, 38 patients from 43 institutions across 19 states have joined the study.

When we reviewed the latest update from the study, several points stood out:

• The average age at diagnosis is just 31 — so heartbreakingly young, in the prime of life.
• Asian patients represent the second largest group after white patients.
• Immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy ranks second only to surgery as a treatment approach.

A big thank-you to the patients who chose to participate in this study. For a cancer as rare as tRCC, your courage and willingness to contribute are immeasurably important. Your participation brings hope — and moves us one step closer to better understanding and better treatments. If you haven't, please consider joining. https://trccproject.org/

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San Diego, CA
92130

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