NORFOLK, Va. -- 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 26 hospitals and healthcare institutions nationwide – and the only children’s hospital in Virginia -- to receive a 2024 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 helps CHKD provide the care that patients need without having to leave the area.
“Cancer is relentless, and it doesn’t discriminate,” said Dr. Eric Lowe, pediatric oncologist and CHKD’s chief clinical academic officer. “But it’s through the power of research and care that we find hope. This grant will help continue our efforts to advance our understanding of the disease and how to best treat it.”
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 and has generously supported CHKD’s cancer program for nearly 20 years.