The meaning of friendship

Erik and Kyle drop off donations at Seattle Children's Hospital

Read Erik's donation request letter

As the school year was winding down our lives were crazy researching new treatment options for Kyle. That's when Kyle's friend, Erik Johnson, , decided he needed to help. He wrote a touching letter asking forfor donations to Seattle Children's Hospital for brain bump research. He told his mom he wanted to raise $10,000! Although his mom tried to temper his lofty goal to $1,000, Erik couldn't be swayed. At the end of one week he had raised over $1,400!

Erik joined us on our next trip to Children's for Kyle's check-up where he and Kyle presented the money to Dr. Olson and the hospital's donation administrators. It was the most fun we'd had at a check-up! Erik and Kyle were cracking everyone up.

And Erik isn't satisfied yet! He is still going for the $10,000 mark and I am asking for your help. Read Erik's letter and forward it to anyone and everyone you know. Donations are directed to Dr. Olson's research through Children's. Children's will send a receipt for any donations greater than $10 (the receipts are mailed to the address on the check unless another address is provided).

If you are interested in making a donation please send a check made out to "Children's Hospital" with "brain tumor research" in the memo section to:

Erik Johnson, 1916 South Colby Court, Bellingham, WA 98229

For updates on Erik's fundraising progress you can email his mom, Stephanie, at stephbrianerikcole@yahoo.com.

Treatment for DIPG has not improved or changed in more than 30 years. Donations made to Dr. Olson will help him find a way to improve the prognosis for kids with DIPG and other pediatric brain cancers. Government budget cuts are severely affecting the National Cancer Institute's ability to fund new research. This was crystalized for me when Seattle Children's was dropped from the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium. While Dr. Olson and his colleagues are hopeful Children's will be reinstated as a self-funded institution, it is a tremendous blow for Northwest kids with brain cancer. Kyle and others will now have to travel to San Francisco or Chicago for inclusion in PBTC clinical trials. For families already feeling financial constrains of medical bills, this is a quite a blow. Not to mention the emotional toll on kids who may have spend their remaining months away from home, family, and friends.

Thanks for your continued support. Your donations to Kyle's fund have enabled us to continue with treatment with less concern for what our insurance with cover. It is a gift to Kyle's emotional and physical well being. Thank you.