Mission

It is LuciaGirl Pediatric Oncology Foundation's mission to:

• Honor Lucia, a bright, pretty, little girl who bravely battled against malignant brain tumors.

• Campaign and raise funds for more effective drug and treatment development,

• Ensure adequate research funding is devoted specifically for pediatric patients,

• Address the day-to-day needs of childhood cancer patients and their families.

LGPOF plans to aid in the empowerment of law makers, healthcare, scientific and business leaders to make decisions that lead to significant, not just statistically, but actual, tangible improvements in the treatment of pediatric cancer. Let’s leave the baby steps to the babies.

How

• Thorough evaluation and critiquing of current laws, policies & procedures,

• Expert scientific opinion and exploration,

• Passionate public advocacy and fundraising.

Foundation Objectives

Provide opportunities for individuals and businesses to participate in fundraising and collaborate with other fundraising institutions to raise funds for cancer research.

Provide informational, emotional and financial support for families.

Open discussions with policy makers in the healthcare, academic and political arenas, as well as drug manufacturers on how to revamp scientific and clinical research protocols so that they become more efficiency and less redundant.

Open discussions with the FDA on how to provide access to medications and treatments still considered “experimental (pre-Phase 1)” to those children who are catastrophically ill with few or no other alternatives to survive.

Ensure that pediatrics gets its fair share of resources available and those resources allotted to pediatric oncology are guided by policies specifically for children that get the best results for children. (Not just watered-down adult versions)

Push for a change in the secretive, competitive nature of academia and create a more collaborative atmosphere, in hopes to facilitate greater information exchange between institutions to get the best possible treatment options into public circulation quickly.

Programs

Funds and Research Team (F.A.R.T.)*

Raises funds for innovative, results-oriented oncology research and for financial assistance to families in need. There is a Junior team with fun, kid friendly events and an team.

Parents of Oncology Patients (P.O.O.P.)*

Informational, emotional and financial support for families struck by this horrid tragedy. Rallies to raise public and political awareness that the status quo in pediatric cancer care is unacceptable.

Advancement of Research & Scientific Exchange (A.R.S.E)*

This task force will review potential grant candidates and meet Think Tank style to highlight crucial questions that still need answering in order to insure the development of effective treatments and/or cancer cures.

*Yes, we realize what our acronyms say. Yes, it was deliberate.

Lucia says she has a princess side and a tomboy side and the tomboy side never failed to laugh at burp & fart humor. In fact, a clown at Memorial Sloane Kettering has changed his name as per Lucia's recommendation to "Dr. Burp N Fart".

Sooo... like I said, we do this in her honor.

LEGAL

LGPOF is a registered 501(c)(3) public nonprofit organization.

All donations are tax deductible.

Most foundation expenses are being donated by whomever handles whatever. For example, all legal fees, administrative work etc. are being donated by Lucia's family. Most expenses for the fundraisers are graciously donated by the people involved with them. We will try to proceed like this for as long as possible to ensure that donations are used for their intended purpose.

All funds raised will be divided among the three main programs. Potential candidates for research grants and their proposals will be posted, your opinion matters. Stay tuned for more developments.

LGPOF will be careful to advocate particular positions on healthcare and research issues but we will not provide information about specific candidates and their positions on these issues.

We will do our due diligence to make sure that our communication is permissible issue advocacy and NOT prohibited political campaign intervention nor become impermissible campaign intervention by any statement or action that ties a position articulated in the communication to a particular candidate or election.

Yes, we need your money but we also need your passion!

(Sense of humor Optional)