Monday, September 20, 2010
Dallas Foundation Has Global Impact on Children's Cancer Research
Bethesda, MD – September 20, 2010 - When Willie Tichenor died in 2006 of osteosarcoma at the age of 19, his family and friends came together to answer the question "What Would Willie Want?" Willie's parents, Mac and Lisa Tichenor, and his brother Taylor, along with seven of Willie's good friends, created the WWWW Foundation (QuadW) to honor Willie's wish – to make a positive change in the world around him.
In May 2008, the WWWW Foundation partnered with CureSearch for Children's Cancer to support the pediatric sarcoma research of the Children's Oncology Group.
CureSearch for Children's Cancer funds and supports the lifesaving, collaborative research of the Children's Oncology Group, the world's largest cooperative pediatric cancer research organization, which treats 90% of children with cancer in the U.S.
Through this collaborative model, the worldwide network of pediatric oncologists advances the science at a much faster pace than any one individual or institution acting alone. This prestigious group is responsible for the overall 78% cure rate of children's cancer.
"Our family and Willie's friends, some of whom are now QuadW board members, were with Willie through his diagnosis and treatment. We all felt the helplessness and frustration when he ran out of treatment options, and that has fueled our urgency to encourage and support research for sarcoma and other rare cancers." Stated Mac Tichenor, Willie's father and Executive Director of the QuadW Foundation, "We've been very impressed with how the Children's Oncology Group has worked with us and many others to advance life-saving research."
QuadW's contributions to CureSearch established the QuadW Osteosarcoma Biostatistics and Annotation Office (OBAO), which advises osteosarcoma researchers on how to design their experiments to produce statistically valid conclusions and, after the experiments are performed, conducts the statistical analysis of the results. Since the OBAO's founding two years ago, it has taken on several new projects to facilitate osteosarcoma research, and is exploring how its resources might be productively used in other pediatric sarcomas and rare cancers; none of which would have been feasible before the collaboration began.
This week in Dallas, TX, more than 1,500 members of the Children's Oncology Group, the benefactor of the OBAO grant, come together to share research outcomes of world-wide pediatric oncology clinical trials and to mark the 10th Anniversary of their collaboration.
"Only research cures children's cancer. We are grateful to the generosity of the QuadW Foundation," said John Lehr, President and CEO, CureSearch for Children's Cancer. "It is only with the support of Foundations like QuadW that we can achieve our 100% cure rate for all children with cancer."
Willie was the one who always brought people together. He had the remarkable ability to inspire those around him to be better. As the researchers, doctors, physicians and nurses gather in Dallas this week, this just might be the answer to "What Would Willie Want?"
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CureSearch for Children's Cancer
CureSearch for Children's Cancer is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization that funds and supports the lifesaving, collaborative research of the Children's Oncology Group, the world's largest cooperative pediatric cancer research organization, which treats 90% of children with cancer in the U.S. Visit: www.CureSearch.org for more information.
About the QuadW Foundation -
The WWWW Foundation, Inc. (also known as QuadW Foundation) was established in 2006 in memory of Willie Tichenor, who died of osteosarcoma at age 19. QuadW's mission is to provide support to people and organizations pursuing innovative ideas and opportunities in the areas of higher education, sarcoma research, personally transforming mission experiences and general philanthropy. The QuadW accomplishments will reflect the light-hearted but whole-hearted spirit that Willie embodied. Visit: www.quadw.org for more information.