Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters will receive a $50,000 grant from St. Baldrick’s Foundation to support the hospital’s pediatric cancer research efforts.
CHKD is one of 20 hospitals and healthcare institutions nationwide – and the only children’s hospital in Virginia – to receive a 2025 Infrastructure Grant from St. Baldrick’s Foundation. The grant will support CHKD’s cancer research team as they enroll patients in clinical trials that will help determine the most effective treatments for cancers that affect children.
Each year, CHKD’s pediatric oncologists diagnose more than 70 children with cancer. Access to lifesaving care close to home can make undergoing treatment a little easier for local families. The funding from St. Baldrick’s Foundation helps CHKD provide the care that patients need without having to leave the area.
“Cancer challenges every family it touches,” said Dr. Melissa Mark, pediatric oncologist and director of clinical research, Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at CHKD.
“This grant empowers us to continue our research efforts and enhance the care we provide. We are truly grateful for the support from St. Baldrick’s Foundation.”
The hematology and oncology program at CHKD follows more than 500 children who have been diagnosed with cancer, 500 children with sickle cell disease, and 300 patients with bleeding disorders. Its multidisciplinary team includes physicians, nurses, social workers, child life specialists, pharmacists, case managers, education consultants, a dietician, and a chaplain.
The program also has clinical research nurses and research associates who work closely with the medical team to offer clinical research trials to childhood cancer patients.
St. Baldrick’s Foundation is the largest charity funder of childhood cancer research grants in the U.S. and has generously supported CHKD’s cancer program for nearly 20 years.