Stop Making Kids With Cancer Wait for Better Treatments. Congress, Fund the Research.
The Issue
My daughter Ryder was just 3 years old when I noticed her right eye moving strangely. Soon after, doctors told us she had a brain tumor, a low-grade glioma on her optic pathway.
Our lives changed overnight.
Ryder underwent two brain surgeries and began traditional chemotherapy through a clinical trial. After six months, she developed an allergic reaction to the medication, and we had to find another treatment option.
That's when Ryder began taking OJEMDA, a targeted treatment she took at home for two years. During that time, her brain tumor shrank by 87%.
On July 22, 2026, Ryder rang the bell at Children’s Hospital LA and finished treatment.
She is now a little girl who gets to focus on being a kid again. But our family's journey with childhood cancer doesn't end here. Ryder will need continued monitoring, and we know there are countless other families still searching for answers, treatments, and hope.
Ryder had another treatment option because researchers spent years working to understand childhood brain tumors and develop medicines specifically for children. Clinical trials and continued research make these options possible. Every child deserves that chance.
This year's federal budget includes $30 million for the Childhood Cancer STAR Act and $100 million for the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative. These programs matter. But this spring, the National Cancer Institute ended its support for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium and transitioned its clinical trial work to a different research network. As this transition takes place, we need to make sure dedicated pediatric brain tumor research and clinical trials continue to receive the support they need.
Congress is deciding the 2027 federal budget right now, and government funding runs out on December 11.
We are asking Rep. Robert Aderholt, Rep. Tom Cole, and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito to increase federal funding for childhood cancer research in the final 2027 budget, including clinical trials specifically for children with brain tumors.
Please sign this petition. Your signature adds your voice to a national call for more research, better treatments, and more options for children facing cancer.
Ryder got a chance because of research. Let's fight to make sure more children get that chance, too.
Amy Roiland is a Change Ambassador who receives compensation in connection with this petition.
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The Issue
My daughter Ryder was just 3 years old when I noticed her right eye moving strangely. Soon after, doctors told us she had a brain tumor, a low-grade glioma on her optic pathway.
Our lives changed overnight.
Ryder underwent two brain surgeries and began traditional chemotherapy through a clinical trial. After six months, she developed an allergic reaction to the medication, and we had to find another treatment option.
That's when Ryder began taking OJEMDA, a targeted treatment she took at home for two years. During that time, her brain tumor shrank by 87%.
On July 22, 2026, Ryder rang the bell at Children’s Hospital LA and finished treatment.
She is now a little girl who gets to focus on being a kid again. But our family's journey with childhood cancer doesn't end here. Ryder will need continued monitoring, and we know there are countless other families still searching for answers, treatments, and hope.
Ryder had another treatment option because researchers spent years working to understand childhood brain tumors and develop medicines specifically for children. Clinical trials and continued research make these options possible. Every child deserves that chance.
This year's federal budget includes $30 million for the Childhood Cancer STAR Act and $100 million for the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative. These programs matter. But this spring, the National Cancer Institute ended its support for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium and transitioned its clinical trial work to a different research network. As this transition takes place, we need to make sure dedicated pediatric brain tumor research and clinical trials continue to receive the support they need.
Congress is deciding the 2027 federal budget right now, and government funding runs out on December 11.
We are asking Rep. Robert Aderholt, Rep. Tom Cole, and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito to increase federal funding for childhood cancer research in the final 2027 budget, including clinical trials specifically for children with brain tumors.
Please sign this petition. Your signature adds your voice to a national call for more research, better treatments, and more options for children facing cancer.
Ryder got a chance because of research. Let's fight to make sure more children get that chance, too.
Amy Roiland is a Change Ambassador who receives compensation in connection with this petition.
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Petition created on November 9, 2026