So much goodness has come out of Mei's existence so far. We hope more people will sense that goodness as she grows up, and we will do all we can to help her extend her reach. In celebrating Mei's 1st year, we ask you to spread the goodness that comes from Mei by making a donation to pediatric cancer research as part of her fundraising team. This is not only a gift to Mei, but also a much-coveted gift to the parents and children brutalized by childhood cancer.

Donate to Mei’s personal page to help her in supporting a great cause!

Mei is raising money for the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, and your contribution will make an impact. Whether you donate $5 or $500, every little bit helps. Your contribution and support are greatly appreciated. And it will be tax deductible for you!

We hope that Mei will love this gift when looking back at her first birthday. Presently, Mei loves nothing more than playing in the open air with loved ones along with some doggies running about and water to wash her hands and splash. That, we will provide her as part of her birthday present. We will also buy her any material gift that you were thinking of giving her--just let us know what you want her to have! So rest assured that Mei will receive both short-term and long-term gratification when it comes to gifts for her first birthday.

Why Pediatric Cancer?

Neither Mei nor any other child we personally know has ever had cancer (knock on wood). We just want to help Mei help her peers and, correspondingly, plant seeds of compassion while her character is still innocently supple. Also, we want to help Mei thank all those who  prayed for her healthy development and the divine beings who listened to those prayers. Mei has been blessed with good health so far, and we are beyond grateful for her hearty presence. So we wanted to find a charitable cause to help Mei “pay it forward.” Initially, we wanted to help Mei raise money for congenital heart disease because nearly 1 in 100 babies is born with a heart defect in the U.S. each year and we personally know some of them. But then we read the following about pediatric cancer:

• Cancer is the number one cause of death by disease among children. Approximately 43 children a day are expected to be diagnosed with cancer. Approximately 20% of children with cancer in the U.S. will die from their disease, a secondary cancer, or complications from treatment.  And because of the treatments they had as kids, more than 95% of childhood cancer survivors will have a chronic health problem.
• The cancers that strike kids are different from adult cancers. They require their own research and medicines. It’s not as simple as just giving a kid a smaller dosage of the medicine you use to treat adult cancer.
• Whereas many adult cancers can be diagnosed early, pediatric cancer will have already spread to other areas of the body in 80% of kids by the time they are diagnosed.
• About 60% of all funding for drug development for adult cancers comes from pharmaceutical companies. In contrast, because childhood cancer drugs are not profitable, almost none of the funding for pediatric cancer research comes from pharmaceutical companies.
• Only 4% of the money that the federal government budgets for cancer research goes to studying pediatric cancer.
•  Since the 1980’s, less than 10 drugs have been developed for the treatment of childhood cancer, compared to the hundreds and hundreds that have been developed for adult cancers. Resultantly, for many childhood cancers, the treatment today is the same as the treatment used in the 1970’s.
• Yes, more adults than children get cancer, and only crazy people begrudge the effort to find cures for adult cancer. But pediatric cancer research is not getting its proportional share of research monies based on the number of diagnoses (thanks, Big Pharma), and we need to fill the funding gap. What’s more, bioethical considerations complicate the utilitarian argument that numbers alone should dictate the amount allocated to pediatric cancer research. For instance, consider how cures for pediatric cancer are arguably more impactful than the cures for adult cancer for each individual patient. The average age at cancer diagnosis for adults is 67 while the average age for cancer diagnosis for children is 6. When a child dies of cancer, 70 potential life years are lost on average compared to the 15 potential life years lost for adults. And cancer is often more psychologically traumatizing to children, who are not as emotionally equipped as adults to deal with the terror and pain. According to Dr. Eugenie Kleinerman, head of pediatrics at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, “[c]uring childhood cancer is the equivalent of curing breast cancer in terms of productive life years saved.” If pediatric cancer groups got even half of the funding that goes to breast cancer research and advocacy, we would not have the poor prognosis that we see today with childhood cancer.

About the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation:

The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF) has a 100 score on Charity Navigator.

The NPCF collaborates with leading hospitals across the nation to fund clinical trials to find faster cures specifically for pediatric cancer. Since 1991, the NPCF has been a shining light for children fighting cancer by donating millions of dollars to research. The clinical trials we've funded are yielding amazing discoveries and the advancements are saving children’s lives.

About Mei

Mei is our “rainbow baby,” the reliable little sprout (芽依) that persevered and blossomed after a wintry period marked by four pregnancy losses (like 梅花). She doesn’t negate the barbed memories of pregnancy loss and infertility. But what she does do is show that life goes on after loss—at times with such startling sovereignty and splendor. Mei imbues the term “rainbow baby” with added poignancy because she is so vibrantly full of life, cosmic compensation it seems for the sickness and heartbreak that preceded her. Mei is constantly smiling, investigating, loving, and moving. High-spirited and strong-willed, she turns the house into a playground and keeps getting up after falling down. She laughs loudly, smiles easily, looks you straight in the eye, and smiles some more. Some fairy magic seems at play with this rascally little sprite. Because she likes to move and explore, Mei doesn’t like to be held or cuddled for long. It makes it more touching, then, when she careens toward you to give you brief but enthusiastic hugs. And then you see her do the same with her favorite stuffed animals. She is such a little lovebug, brimming with affection, but independent and not touchy-feely. The dichotomy is fascinating.

Yearly Questionnaire for Mei:

Cartoon character you are most like: Mei Kusakabe, the sweet but slightly bratty little sister in My Neighbor Totoro, for her exuberance and fearless curiosity, and for her warm attachment to people and things and desire to be part of the action. When she was a newborn, Mei Watanabe was most like Mr. Magoo in looks and luck.

Favorite color: Red

Favorite toy: Daddy, the ultimate entertainment system

Favorite animal: dog

Cave of Wonders: the refrigerator

Favorite food: Grandma’s fish and veggies porridge, butternut squash and corn, and anything an adult is eating that’s not intended for babies per se

Favorite music: classics from the Great American Songbook, some showtunes, and the alphabet song,--all preferably sung by Daddy

Favorite book: The Wonderful Things You Will Be, Wonderful World, 100 First Words, and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Future profession based on current passions: Chef (loves the kitchen) or king (imperious and demanding)

Sense of humor: prankster; likes sneaking up on Daddy and laughing when he acts surprised, dropping objects for people to pick up, stealing Grandpa’s glasses, blowing raspberries, and fake grunting to get people to smell her butt for poop checks. Her sense of humor is also becoming more affiliative, as she has developed a social chuckle recently for purposes of inviting your participation. The chuckle is more subdued (and almost sounds a little artificial) compared to the jubilant giggles that come from laughing at her own “jokes” or the absurdity in the world.  

Goals for the coming year: stay healthy, grow a rich imagination, and become a better eater