From the time I entered graduate school I knew that I wanted to dedicate my career to developing tumor-specific brain cancer therapy. Once I learned that brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-associated death in people under the age of 35, it was clear that childhood cancer was the battleground to which I would wage my war against cancer.

We know that incremental thinking will lead to incremental progress. Children's Cancer Research Fund has provided the crucial funding to get our highest-risk ideas to the proof-of-concept stage. This funding allows me to think outside of the box, to hit brain cancer as hard as I possibly can every day; and, if I fail, to learn from it and come back smarter the next time.

Dr. John Ohlfest
Roseville, Minnesota

Let us be thankful that the death of a child is so uncommon…but remember that it is not unheard of. Let us honor the loved ones we have lost.... but not lose ourselves in the process. We have a new understanding that our pain is not unique. Sooner or later, in big or small ways, we all feel pain."Why us?" isn't the question to ask. The question to ask is, "Who do we choose to compare ourselves to? What do we choose to feel—unfortunate, or privileged?"

We don't expect people to die, and we don't expect people not to die. We mourn the ones we have lost, and we celebrate that we had them in the first place. We remember the loved ones who have died, but we never forget that we are still alive… and we have a lot of living left to do.

John Golden, Emily Eaton, Oscar Golden with portrait of Julian Golden
Bloomington, Minnesota

Julian lost his battle with leukemia two weeks before what would have been his 4th birthday.

I decided that I am no longer going to base anything on Charlie's "numbers." He has been cured of the mental anguish epidermolysis bullosa caused him to suffer every day. He has been cured of the "dread" of just another painful day. The publicity and the public support have "cured" him of the unknowing curiosity of strangers who stare and point. Now, Charlie no longer feels like an "outcast." No matter what happens...I have witnessed more JOY in the face of my child during these past months than I have seen in his lifetime. For the first time Charlie is truly happy. He feels like a superstar!

Trisha Knuth, mother

Charlie with his father Kevin
Darboy, Wisconsin

The power to choose how big of a part I wanted my childhood cancer experience to play in my life was mine. This, in itself, made me feel more in-control of myself and my life. I found myself finding ways to build on my experience instead of letting it get me down. I began volunteering on the pediatric cancer floor at University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital and was startled – and amazed – by my ability to relate to the patients on the floor. It was an incredible feeling to soothe some of the younger patients as they underwent chemo infusions and to tell them "I know how you feel," and really mean it.

I've learned that people are much braver than they think they are, and having faith that things will be okay in the end is more powerful than most people believe. At the end of the day, I am not thankful my cancer experience happened in the first place, but I am so thankful for everything that has come of it.

Sanyukta Janardan
Hodgkin's lymphoma survivor
Plymouth, Minnesota