Brittney’s Believers

06/16/2026

Another amazing paper out of Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute working to further understand Rhabdomyosarcoma tumors, understanding can help with developing better and more effective treatments! Great work!

Hot Off the Press! This Scientific Reports paper from cc-TDI describes the beautiful complexity of at least 11 (yes, eleven) subtypes of cancer cells found in rhabdomyosarcoma. Curiously, human cell lines only reflect a few.

This work was done by cc-TDI lab members Guak-Kim Tan and Zu-Yuan Qian with help from cc-TDI student researchers Sofia Tosoni and Gillian St John. Collaborators included Kavya Kannan, Hollis Wright and Melvin Lathara (datma/ODA), Sonja Chen (Nationwide Children's Hospital) and Brian Rubin (Cleveland Clinic). Acknowledgements go to Mattie Clark for important technical contributions.

Funding was made possible by Avery's Rhabdo Blast! project, the Ally Anderson AlveolarRhabdomyosarcoma Research Fund at Arms Wide Open Childhood Cancer Foundation, The Megan's Mission Foundation and NIH.

For the full article, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-57841-3

06/15/2026

Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute hot off the press:

International ThinkTank ranks Rhabdomyosarcoma Targets
The British Journal of Cancer is hot off the press: LifeArc brought together 45 international experts in rms science and treatment to prioritize new drug approaches. We're excited about PAX::FOXO1 itself, as discussed in this consensus paper.
For the full article, see https://www.nature.com/articles/s41416-026-03483-1

"Although survival rates for children with localised, low-risk rhabdomyosarcoma have improved, survival remains at 20–30% for patients with metastatic disease, and all children with rhabdomyosarcoma still face intensive treatment with poor short- and long-term quality of life. There is an urgent need for new therapeutic options for metastatic and recurrent disease, and for treatments with fewer side effects."

International ThinkTank ranks Rhabdomyosarcoma Targets

The British Journal of Cancer is hot off the press: LifeArc brought together 45 international experts in rms science and treatment to prioritize new drug approaches. We're excited about PAX::FOXO1 itself, as discussed in this consensus paper.

For the full article, see https://www.nature.com/articles/s41416-026-03483-1

06/11/2026

☀️ Hard to believe on this 90-degree day that just over a month ago, our incredible community came out on a cold, rainy day 🌧️ to support the work we do at Brittney's Believers. 💜

Because of that support, Bands for Brittney 2026 became our biggest fundraiser yet, allowing us to donate $20,000 directly to childhood cancer research through CC-TDI. 🎗️

This donation is made not only in memory of Brittney 💜, but with the hope of creating a lasting impact through the groundbreaking research being done every day. Research that has the potential to help thousands of children currently battling cancer, as well as those who have yet to be diagnosed. 🎗️

Yesterday, we received the most heartwarming email and thank you video from our friends at Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute 💜 Moments like these confirm that we have chosen such incredible people to work with

When Brittney was fighting Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma, we learned firsthand how desperately childhood cancer research needs funding and how important it is for families to have options. No parent should ever hear that there is nothing left to try. 💔

We are incredibly grateful to every sponsor, donor, volunteer, attendee, and supporter who helped make this possible. Your generosity is fueling research, creating hope, and honoring Brittney's legacy in a way that reaches far beyond our own family. ✨

Thank you for believing in this mission and for helping us turn heartbreak into hope. 💜🎗️

💛 For Brittney.
🎗️ For the kids fighting today.
💜 For the breakthroughs of tomorrow.

06/10/2026

06/09/2026

What are you doing June 27th?

We will be at Thunder in the Valley Concert & Fireworks Festival! Back again to support their event supporting Baystate’s Children’s Network.

Stop by our booth, we will have information about our foundation, Believers merch for purchase and fun games to win prizes!

06/04/2026

A local event, Bikes Fight Cancer is happening June 20th! And right now donations are being matched to help reach their goal!

Update! The match has been met!!! Thank you all for your support!!

Through our partnership with Gary Rome Hyundai, Hyundai Hope On Wheels is matching all individual donations made to Bikes Fight Cancer participants, up to $100 per donation, with $7,500 in total matching funds available.

For more than 25 years, Hyundai Hope on Wheels has invested in pediatric cancer research and worked to improve outcomes for children facing cancer. Now, through this special match campaign, your donation can have twice the impact.

Funds raised support cancer patients and families across Massachusetts while also helping fund critical cancer research. Together, we're working toward a future where more children survive cancer, families receive the support they need, and lifesaving treatments continue to advance.

Donate to a rider today and double your impact while helping children and families affected by cancer. Find a rider here: Pledgereg.com/BFC

Help us reach our ambitious $325,000 fundraising goal and continue making a difference for patients of all ages.

Let’s do this!

06/02/2026

Registration for 2026 CureFest for Childhood Cancer is now open! 💛🎗️

If you've never attended CureFest, we cannot recommend it enough. Held each year in Washington, DC, this powerful weekend brings together childhood cancer advocates, families, survivors, researchers, and supporters from across the country to shine a bright light on childhood cancer.

Through advocacy events, educational programs, remembrance ceremonies, and community gatherings, CureFest raises awareness, amplifies the voices of childhood cancer families, and supports children and families who are fighting, surviving, and grieving.

We have been attending since 2023, and each year we have watched this community grow stronger in its mission to create change. We've also seen CureFest expand its support for bereaved families, ensuring that our children and their legacies are remembered and honored.

One of the most moving parts of the weekend is seeing the walls of photos displayed throughout Freedom Plaza. Hundreds upon hundreds of beautiful faces—children currently fighting, survivors, and angels—serve as a powerful reminder of why this work matters. The first year we attended, all of the photos fit on one side of the plaza.

Today, the Wall of Angels stretches across an entire side of Freedom Plaza, a heartbreaking reflection of the lives that have been impacted by childhood cancer.

While we will not be attending this year, Brittney will still be there. Her photo will once again be displayed on the Wall of Angels alongside so many other beloved children whose stories continue to inspire advocacy, awareness, and action.

The speeches, performances, advocacy efforts, and moments of remembrance are powerful. But perhaps most impactful is witnessing an entire community come together with one shared purpose: ending childhood cancer.

If you've never experienced CureFest, we encourage you to consider attending. It's a weekend that will stay with you long after you leave, and a powerful reminder of why we must continue fighting for better treatments, more research funding, and ultimately, a cure. 💛

Registration for CureFest 2026 is now open!

Be a voice for children with cancer and register today for this free event!

www.CureFestUSA.org

CureFest for Childhood Cancer Weekend will be held in Washington, DC on September 18 - 20, 2026.

Here is the preliminary Schedule of Events.

https://www.curefestusa.org/about2026

For those of you traveling to Washington, DC, there are various hotels in the vicinity of CureFest.

https://www.curefestusa.org/hotels

Interested in volunteering? Please visit our volunteer signup page.

https://tinyurl.com/cfvolunteers26

If your childhood cancer foundation or group would like to exhibit at the Meet and Greet, please reserve a table and chairs.

https://www.curefestusa.org/foundationtables

Later this week, we will share information about the submission process for the 2026 CureFest Tribute Walls and Shoe Memorial.

Thank you for your commitment to the cause! We look forward to seeing you in September!



05/31/2026

We are honored to support another incredible organization, Swirls Around the World 🌎. One of the first that connected with us during Brittney’s journey, and continues to support Brittney’s legacy. They are an amazing family honoring Matthew, while sending care packages and creating experiences for children battling cancer 🎗️💜

05/28/2026

Please join us in welcoming our 2026 sponsored child, Alia, and her incredible family to the LukeStronger community. 🧡

Alia is a brave and beautiful 4-year-old little girl who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in August of 2025 and is currently still undergoing treatment. Through every appointment, treatment, and difficult day, her mom and dad remain faithfully by her side while her big brother cheers her on every step of the way.

Like many 4-year-olds, Alia has a bright personality and so many things she loves — all things pink and girly, Minnie Mouse, Bluey, Paw Patrol, K-pop Demon Hunters, and Moana are some of her favorites! She can write her name, loves drawing rainbows, and absolutely loves school. One of the things she misses most right now is being with her friends and teachers, and she cannot wait until she is well enough to return.

Today, we proudly welcome Alia, her mother, father, and big brother into the LukeStronger family. 🧡 This year's LukeStronger Golf Tournament is proudly presented by Hyundai Hope On Wheels nand Gary Rome Hyundai.

To our LukeStronger superheroes — please help us surround this family with love and encouragement by leaving Alia a message of support or a warm welcome in the comments below. Your kindness means more than you know.

Stories like Alia’s are exactly why we do what we do every single year. LukeStronger exists to provide support and assistance to families navigating pediatric cancer so parents can remain where they belong — beside their child during treatment.

If you would like to become a sponsor, donate a raffle prize, or volunteer for Alia’s upcoming tournament, please contact the Golf Committee at [email protected].

Together, we continue to remind families they are never fighting alone. 🧡