In its second year as a foundation, the Ohio Lions Pediatric Cancer Foundation presented Cincinnati Children’s Hospital a $25,000 grant to support current research on AML (acute myelogenous leukemia). AML is the second most frequent leukemia. Leukemia is the major cause of childhood cancer representing about 28% of the cases. Using current protocols for treatment, about half of the children with AML are cured.

Dr. John Perentesis (Head of Oncology) and Dr. Stella Davies (Head of Bone Marrow Transplant) at Cincinnati Children’s will employ the grant to further their trial in the use of donor cells from mismatched family members. The generation of natural killer cells will be primed to hunt down and kill leukemia cells. They anticipate that these cells will serve as a platform to add additional strategies that will further enhance the treatment therapy. Once they establish the ability to generate these cells and introduce them to the patients safely, it will allow them to induce remission in children who are otherwise unable to go to transplant and reach remission by that method.

This year the OLPCF targeted leukemia and are thrilled to find an ongoing research at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital which the foundation can help move forward. The fact this is a search for a nontoxic or non-surgical protocol for treatment is also encouraging. While the previous paragraph is an abbreviated assessment of the research, it is showing promise, according to Dr. Perentesis and Dr. Davies. Along with last year’s donation to Rainbow Babies Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, which was matched by a non-Lion donor, and donations to Akron Children’s, Toledo Pro-Medica, Dayton Children’s and Nationwide Children’s, the total monies donated to Ohio Children’s Hospitals from the OLPCF programs and its forerunner STEPS is over the $150,000 mark in our four short years of existence

Published August 29, 2021

On Thursday, June 25, 2020, Executive Director PDG Dave Stockum and Ohio Lions Pediatric Cancer Foundation (OLPCF) Board Member DG Josie Prokop met with Patti DePompei, RN, MSN, President, UH Rainbow and MacDonald Women’s Hospital John Letterio, MD, Division Chief, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology; and Amy Einhorn, Director of Development, on the campus of UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, to make a donation of $25,000 to the Angie Fowler Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Institute. Attached is a fact sheet about Angie’s Institute and its important work in the areas of clinical care, research and education. The donation was matched by a larger grant from a donor outside the Ohio Lions. This was the first grant of OLPCF, which is just completing its first year of existence. The OLPCF grew from the STEPS program, which remains in the Ohio Lions’ sub-districts OH1-OH7. Through the STEPS program, Ohio Lions have donated nearly $70,000 to Ohio pediatric centers, including Akron Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Dayton Children’s Hospital, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s, and Toledo Pro-Medica Hospital, as well as individual pediatric cancer groups like the Bish Foundation in Central Ohio and the BRAVA Foundation in Washington County. The OLPCF’s goal is to support research and advances in treatment for pediatric cancers in the state of Ohio. We also hope local Ohio Lions Clubs will take advantage of our 501(c)(3) status to raise funds to ease the needs of families of pediatric cancer patients in their respective districts. 

Pictured from left to right in front of UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital are Ms. DePompei, PDG Stockum, Dr. Letterio and DG Prokop. 

ANGIE'S INSTITUTE AT A GLANCE

Published July 1, 2020